Key Highlights:
- A new series of Marathon leaks have emerged online.
- The leaks detail changes to the UI, and the addition of a new class.
- Other changes and additions will also be discussed in detail below.
Bungie’s upcoming Marathon is a first person, team based extraction shooter. After landing itself in hot water thanks to plagiarism allegations (which were proven to be true), the team has been quietly working behind the scenes.
Many of these changes have been leaked early, and these detail quite a few significant changes to the game, including a user interface overhaul. More on these leaks, and what to expect from them in the sections below.
Everything You Need to Know About the Marathon NDA Playtest 3 Leak
Bungie’s Marathon is still knee deep in development hell, after being delayed past its initial September 23, 2025 launch date. While this is unfortunate, Bungie has promised players a substantial update for Fall 2025, following feedback generated from the closed alpha tests.
Bungie snipers back again https://t.co/4fewOFZ4XS pic.twitter.com/yNqQHGAaf2
— Colony Deaks (@Deakstiny) September 7, 2025
The most recent of these tests was Closed Playtest 3, the contents of which were under a strict NDA. However, like most things on the internet, this too has been leaked, and gives us a look at what Bungie has been cooking all this while:
UI Tweaks and Changes for Factions
Going by the leaks, Bungie has added significant changes to the Factions user interface landing zone, now complete with the characteristic visual flair seen within the rest of the game. All 6 factions were available in the playtest, accompanied by a gorgeous cinematic that goes well beyond the 30 second mark.
Players have also reported on being able to take on contracts with each playable class during the course of the playtest.
As far as the UI changes are concerned, Bungie seems to be sticking to the same controversial art style, which has now been implemented across the board.
Removal of Certain Cosmetics
The current, ongoing playtest for Marathon began with a clean slate for cosmetics. All cosmetics from the second playtest were removed entirely, with players having access to only the default skins in the game.
The removal is quite strange, but it is safe to say that it is not going to be permanent – after all, cosmetics are a big part of any live service title. Changes to the default skin naming scheme also seem to suggest the same.
‘Thief’ Runner Added to the Game
Playtest 3 has added a new runner to the game, also known as Icon (codenamed Thief). As the name implies, Thief is more strategic in nature, being able to loot containers and other players, grabbing high-rarity items in the process.
The class was also teased officially by Bungie in a rather cryptic teaser, and has had the following leaked abilities:
| Ability Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Grapple | Can be used to zip from one place to another quickly |
| X-Ray Vision | Lets you see loot containers and enemy outlines, even through walls – sorted across the rarity of loot |
| Loot-Stealing Drone | Grabs the rarest item in a player’s inventory, dropping it in a loot bag nearby |
New Map and Miscellaneous Other Changes
Playtest 3 included a new map, known as ‘Cryo Archive’, set on the UESC Marathon Ship. Interestingly enough, Cryo Archive is not exactly a singular map – in fact, it is split up into multiple, interconnected maps.
The map also appears to be very puzzle oriented, having multiple sections that held various items of interest. Other than Cryo Archive, Playtest 3 began with the Outpost map, now with an environmental challenge that boosted player heat meters and dealt damage over time.
Other changes include the addition of Silkworms, pink cats, and the entire removal of cosmetics.
Also Read: Destiny 2 Could Be Bleeding Players To Its Gacha Spinoff Destiny Rising
Unfortunately, most of these sources were taken down by Bungie using DMCA takedowns, so it might be hard to get a hold of these assets. However, given the timely nature of these DMCA takedowns, these leaks do most certainly hold a sense of credibility to them – even if they are not representative of the final product.
