Bungie has acknowledged that Marathon failed to attract a broad player base at launch due to its high difficulty. The studio plans to introduce standalone PvE modes and team-based combat, as well as expand the starting area, to help new players gradually get accustomed to the game.
Marathon was originally designed as a high-difficulty PvPvE extraction shooter. Dying during an operation not only means losing the gear found on that run, but also any items brought into the match. Death and restarting thus became a core part of the gameplay loop.
Bungie Senior Designer Kevin Yanes stated that the game proved too difficult for many players. Repeated failures and having to restart operations after death led some players to quit. He described that while death is the first step in the game for many, for others it became the only step.
Game Director Del Chaffee III also acknowledged that the game currently caters to a smaller audience that prefers intense PvP experiences. Yanes noted that while the team originally hoped to attract a broader audience to the extraction shooter genre, the final product ended up closer to the hardcore format familiar to veteran players.
To lower the barrier to entry, Bungie will add standalone PvE modes and team-based combat, and significantly expand the starting area known as Perimeter. The studio hopes new players can familiarize themselves with the game there before gradually moving on to the full extraction gameplay.