In case you didn’t know, Bungie’s long-in-development extraction shooter Marathon saw its open network test kick off today. This allowed gamers to experience the gameplay for themselves and in the process, check out the game’s technical stuff too.
However, Marathon has an uphill climb, as late last year, one extraction shooter managed to grab everyone’s attention, and that’s none other than Embark Studio’s ARC Raiders.
ARC Raiders: Complete Guide & Walkthrough
All you need for successful time spent Topside.
Bungie is very much aware of the competition, so much so that Marathon players can’t even talk about it in-game.
Bungie Doesn’t Want Players Talking About ARC Raiders In Marathon
Over on X (formerly Twitter), content creator Rooster captured footage of the word “ARC Raiders” getting censored in Marathon’s in-game chat
As you can see in the video, other games such as Fortnite, Escape From Tarkov can be read fine, but the moment ARC Raiders is mentioned, the word gets struck out. While I have no doubt Bungie is thinking about ARC Raiders, this might be something unrelated to the game being threatened of Embark’s game.
Bungie clearly has ARC Raiders on its mind when it comes to Marathon.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a game censor its competition, and I suspect it won’t be the last.
Will it work? Possibly not, as people are smart enough to circumvent this filter if need be. Of course, given how successful ARC Raiders has been so far for Embark, I don’t blame Bungie one bit — especially since they’re the newcomer taking on the top dog of the pound.
ARC Raiders Hurricane Map Condition Will Affect Throwables and Visibility
Fall victim to the storm, or use it to your advantage. The shrouded sky update arrives February 24th.
While we can’t say for certain whether Marathon will be as big of a hit as ARC Raiders is, we did list down 10 reasons why it’s the next big online shooter.
When it comes to cheaters, Bungie is taking a hard stance against it, as the developers announced that those caught cheating will be perma-banned with no second chances. So don’t expect a warning before getting the ban hammer if you’re using third-party software or external devices to gain an unfair edge.
Marathon will be released on March 5 on the PS5 and PC.
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- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Animated Blood, Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
