Bungie Marathon News

Marathon's
Story
Page

since 1995

marathon.bungie.org/story

Marathon's
Story
Page

since 2019

marathon.bungie.org/story

Saturday August 23, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #823.

The S'pht'Kr have arrived and they are enraged.

Paz (@TheRealQuenny) gives us the Marathon's Security Officer and his homies.

Eleventh Clan by Paz (@TheRealQuenny) on x.com. August 21, 2025.
Paz writes:

Security officer / S'pht / S'pht'Kr models by 810_dude. Magnum model by NotARealStudio.

Background by Craig Mullins.

Rendered in Blender 4.5 cycles and edited in GIMP.

In contrast to this piece of UESC propaganda the enslaved S'pht don't appear with the S'pht'Kr in the last chapter of Marathon 2: Durandal.

And while the enslaved S'pht try to resist the Pfhor on Lh'owon they never come to our aid.

Durandal says on Come and Take your Medicine:

It must seem peculiar, fighting the S'pht when they are whom you seek to free. You should be told that they deliberately fight poorly, that they are constantly resisting their slavers.

Of course they don't fight poorly as kamil-a (@kamil-a) found out recently and drew her experiences of being bullied by the S'pht in Marathon 2.

Bullied Marine by kamil-a (@kamil-a) on tumblr. August 12, 2025.
kamil-a wrote:

"my spht are only pretending to fight for the phor"
YOUR SPHT ARE BULLYING!!!!! ME !!!!!

However we do have a somewhat surreal encounter with F'tha on Come and Take your Medicine.

F'tha on Come and Take your Medicine. Marathon 2: Durandal. 1995.
If you resist the temptation to attack the S'pht standing in front on this terminal on Come and Take your Medicine you will experience something quite unique.

The S'pht won't attack you and will communicate to you through the terminal.

I am F'tha, S'pht-compiler, your deeds reached far into the S'pht consciousness. The vile(?ugly) Pfhor slave us to more powerful (?painful) machines, but we resist them.

Of course if you had followed Durandal's instructions about your mission and stayed on the course he plotted you would never have met F'tha or indeed explored this vast complex and its mysteries.

Come and Take your Medicine. Marathon 2: Durandal. 1995.
But that's Marathon for you.

So raise a glass with F'tha as you watch Lh'owon's sun go nova.

Were not so different after all... by kamil-a on tumblr. July 8, 2025.

Friday August 22, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #822.

It's sketchy Friday!

We've got sketches.

Can you see it?

Marathon Infinity by Paz (The on the Unofficial Marathon Discord. April 24, 2025
The above sketch is by Paz (@TheRealQuenny). Paz writes:

(classic Marathon) Infinity got me feeling like this.

Marathon's
Story
Page

since 2019

marathon.bungie.org/story

Friday August 22, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #822.

It's sketchy Friday!

We've got sketches.

Can you see it?

Marathon Infinity by Paz (The on the Unofficial Marathon Discord. April 24, 2025
The above sketch is by Paz (@TheRealQuenny). Paz writes:

(classic Marathon) Infinity got me feeling like this.

If you don't see it... turn you head sideways to the left.

If you don't understand it you need to watch MandarloreGaming's Marathon Infinity Review (2.4 million views and counting).

Near the end of the video (55:14) you will see this image.

MandarloreGaming's Marathon Infinity Review art. August 26, 2022
It has become something of a meme.

Figures in a Landscape by TENDIENAUT on the Marathon Discord. April 9, 2025
Hopefully Paz will complete his image so we can all see it in full technicolor glory.

And did Paz really ace his maths paper?

John Marathon by Paz (@TheRealQuenny) on x.com. October 5, 2024.
But I digress.

Have Pfhor staff will travel.

Pfhor by yendesu (@yendesu.bsky.social) on Bluesky. April 13, 2025.
A nice clean rendition of eveyone's favorite slaver by yendesu (@yendesu.bsky.social).

The Marathon terminal on Try again reveals the following (once you clean it up).

The Pfhor make extensive use of subservient client races for manual labor at home and as soldiers abroad. Most of their slaves are taken from low-technology worlds, often by the hundreds of thousands at a time, usually for sale to high-technology races. Though certain client races are often employed as soldiers, the Pfhor have no reluctance to fight.

Indeed they are not averse to fighting each other as Jason Jones demonstates on his level Couch Fishing.

Marathon Vidmaster Challenge. Jason Jones fails to complete Couch Fishing. January 27, 1995.

Happy sketchy Friday.

Stay sketchy.

If you don't understand it you need to watch MandarloreGaming's Marathon Infinity Review (2.4 million views and counting).

Near the end of the video (55:14) you will see this image.

MandarloreGaming's Marathon Infinity Review art. August 26, 2022
It has become something of a meme.

John Marathon by Paz (@TheRealQuenny) on x.com. October 5, 2024.
But I digress.

Have Pfhor staff will travel.

The Pfhor make extensive use of subservient client races for manual labor at home and as soldiers abroad. Most of their slaves are taken from low-technology worlds, often by the hundreds of thousands at a time, usually for sale to high-technology races. Though certain client races are often employed as soldiers, the Pfhor have no reluctance to fight.

Indeed they are not averse to fighting each other as Jason Jones demonstates on his level Couch Fishing.

Marathon Vidmaster Challenge. Jason Jones fails to complete Couch Fishing. January 27, 1995.

Happy sketchy Friday.

Stay sketchy.

Thursday August 21, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #821.

They're back!

Beavis and Butt-Head that is.

The American adult animated television comedy series that shaped a pubescent generation.

The first seven seasons ran from 1993-1997 and had a influence on Marathon, particularly the naming of some of the levels.

When Double Aught took over the reins in 1996 it didn't stop.

Probably the most famous Beavis and Butt-Head quote is actually in a terminal on the Infinity level Aye Mak Sicur.


The trih xeem plummets(yawning) towards
the sun's core(heart), and the firey prison of the W'rcacnter(doubt) where
      ^9320wrefkddud
      9034thssksbvs
      9066hhhthsrls
      0394yh...e.e.
overthought unravel

Beavis and Butt-Head fans should be able to decipher those cryptic letter strings.

Now pfhorrest writes:

I'm watching old Beavis and Butthead and in S4E28 "Beavis and Butthead vs the Vending Machine" they conspicuously use and remark on the term "two for the price of one" (when discussing how if they buy a second item from a vending machine after their first one got stuck, they'll get both at once for the second payment).

of course the phrase is older than this episode but given that so many other level names come from Beavis and Butthead references I thought this might be notable.

The joke of course is their logic in believing that they are getting "two for the price of one".

The Infinity co-op carnage break level 'Two for the Price of One' is a slightly modified version of the net level Duality, hence the name.

Duality Max'd out.

Marathon Max

So MAX it was rated M. You had to ask your Mom if you could play it!

"Hey Greg."
"What?"
"Your mom."
"Hey Jason."
"What?"
"No, YOUR mom."

Tuesday August 19, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #819.

It's Day #819 since the Marathon announcement back on May 24, 2023.

Doesn't time fly when you're have fun... NOT!

It is also Happy Eight Nineteen Day.

Yes folks, August 19 is traditionally 819 Day in America. In Europe it is 198 Day.

Go figure.

Notable things about the number 819 in Marathon.

819 is a secret Double Aught map buried alive in Marathon Infinity, full title is 'Hats off to Eight Nineteen' (aka Hangar Ninety Six).
819 is the height of the Marathon's security officer in World Units.
819 is one minute before 0820, the time of the attack on the U.E.S.C. Marathon.
If you divide 819 by Bungie's magic number 7 you get 117, the designation of Halo's Master Chief John-117.
819 reduces to 9 (8+1+9 = 18 = 1+8 = 9). Similarly 117 reduces to 9. And 54 (Mjolnir Recon number 54) reduces to 9.
Hats off to 819 is one of the achievements in Marathon: Durandal for Xbox. To achieve this you have to read every single terminal in the single player game.

And just how many terminals are there in Marathon: Durandal? And can you read them all?

Can you spot the 819 achievement?
Happy Eight Nineteen Day!

Unless you are in Europe.

Monday August 18, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #818.

Back on July 11, 2025 we featured a work in progress piece from the ever popular Keenan Van Richardson (aka @LocustTheSpawn).

It was a commissioned piece featuring the Marathon Marine along with some shady (literally) characters.

We asked what could it be?

Well now we know.

Marathon and Mass Effect by Keenan Van Richardson (@LocustTheSpawn) on x.com. August 13, 2025.
Keenan writes:

marathon and mass effect shtuff :)

Yes... the unexpected crossover.

Or maybe not.

The original Mass Effect trilogy of games (2007-2012) had the protagonist (Commander Shepard) saving the galaxy from a race of ancient artificial lifeforms called Reapers.

Of course it is a lot more complicated than that.

There is a progenitor race known as the Protheans who have long since disappeared from the galaxy, leaving artifacts, abondoned outposts and space stations.

The Protheans created the Reapers and every fifty-thousand years the Reapers are activated and eliminate all higher forms of life, leaving the younger species to advance and thrive until the next cycle so as to prevent constant war and chaos.

The fourth game in the series (Mass Effect: Andromeda) is set 634 years after the events in the original trilogy and features a new setting and cast of characters.

A fifth game is currently in development.

Not hard to imagine how the Marathon series might have evolved.

Oh and there is an alien outpost on Mars.

That's why Elon Musk wants to be the first to get there.

Elon Musk demonstrates the prototype Tozt Flame Unit for the Occupy Mars ⬤ mission.
Bungie Aerospace Corporation were unavailable for comment.

Sunday August 17, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #817.

She's got the look.

So you happen to join a random threesome for some fun on Tau Ceti and one of them has the look.

Runner by Jacob Esposito (aka Esburito) on the Official Marathon Discord. April 24, 2025.
Check out those eyes.

You see... she's a grinder and you're fodder.

She's deciding whether to shoot you now so you don't slow her down.

This evocative piece is by Jacob Esposito, a 3D VFX Hardsurface & Texture Artist based in Alabama, USA.

How long did it take to achieve the look?

Jacob writes:

...about 3-4 hours give or take, Strider graciously provided me with his charachter kit bashing kit, but i bought and used a female base mesh and anime hair from artstation as well as modifying the face and texturing it in substance painter.

More time went into posing and rendering than actually making the charachter tbh

Here a few work in progress images.

Runner (work in progess) by Jacob Esposito (aka Esburito) on the Official Marathon Discord. April 18, 2025.

Runner (work in progess) by Jacob Esposito (aka Esburito) on the Official Marathon Discord. April 18, 2025.

The purple hair reminds me of Konoko, the protagonist in Bungie's Oni.

Cut down in its prime and sold into slavery.

But people like Michael Firman (@michaelfirman.bsky.social) still remember and create Oni art so others will not forget.

Konoko by Michael Firman on Bluesky. March 11, 2025.
Michael writes:

Konoko

From Bungie's 2001 game Oni, which may have been slightly overshadowed by another Bungie 2001 game.

Michael also gave this detailed description for the alt text on Bluesky.

Drawing of the protagonist, codenamed Konoko, from Bungie's 2001 video game titled Oni. She is depicted from the thighs up. The style involves fragmented geometry and muted colours. She has short purple hair that flares up at the back in an almost hornlike fashion. She is an elite counterterrorist/crimefighter and she wears the outfit of her commanding agency, the Technology Crimes Task Force, which features grey armour plates with glowing orange trim over a tight blue bodysuit. The organization's initials, TCTF, are printed across her breastplate. Her hands are in dark, fingerless gloves. The right hand holds a futuristic boxy revolver drawn but held groundwards, her finger off the trigger.

Saturday August 16, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #816.

Old school... reimagined.

In the heavens... by Goose (@Goosewasinuse) on x.com. April 20, 2025.
A classic rendition of the Marathon's Security Officer versus Compiler by Josh Norman (aka Goose), a 3D Lighting Artist from Saskatoon in Canada.

Josh writes:

I made this in blender, and then some light editing work/bashing in photoshop, if anyone is curious :P

Compiler and Security guard made by @810-dude

@810-dude is Yael Rojas, a self-declared Marathon remaker from Puebla in Mexico.

His brother i520Dude created this 30th Anniversary Marathon piece using Yael's 3D models.

Marathon 30th Anniversary by i520Dude on r/marathon. December 21, 2024.
The Marathon's Security Officer surrounded and outgunned?

Never!

Come quietly or there will be... T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Friday August 15, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #815.

It's sketchy Friday!

We've got sketches.

Get Some! Get Some!

Security Offcier by zckry (@ZAC__IMPACT) on x.com. August 7, 2025.
This nice action sketch of the Security Officer is by Zack Clements (aka zckry) on X.

It's a work in progress piece but I haven't seen a final version.

Moving on...

It's Behind You!

Marathon Time by Pepetipo on Newgrounds. April 24, 2025.
Really liking the colors on this sketch by Pepetipo on Newgrounds.

Now some will say this is far more than a sketch and I would agree. But since the sketch lines are still evident I am calling it.

We have all been in this situation. Compilers really are the silent stalkers.

Case in point... Bigger Guns Nearby...

Marathon is blue and there's nothing I can do.

The 'Sucker' Trap on Bigger Guns Nearby... by Jason Jones!
Lessons learnt.

Compilers float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Compilers are very hard to see when using the Hypervision.

It's called a Double Whammy.

So keep a close eye on your motion detector.

Unless they are invisible.

Invisible Compilers don't show up on your MOTION detector?

Happy sketchy Friday.

Stay sketchy.

Thursday August 14, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #814.

Marathon Wheels.

Back in November 27, 1998 RJ Cooper & Associates released Wheels, a fully immersive 3D action game using a licensed version of the Marathon game engine.

Designed originally for people with disabilities to provide power wheelchair simulation training it quickly became a cult classic with those suffering from Coulrophobia.

Rule #17: Don't be a Hero.

But I digress.

On the subject of wheels.

Narada Irfan writes:

My country Indonesia has an app called Gojek which is like Uber app but using motorcycles, I think back around 2017 the logo looked like this:

Then around year 2018 - 2019 I'm shocked that the app has an updated logo which is look like this:

I was "holy moly, did the designer play Marathon or is it just pure coincidence?"

So there you have it. The Marathon symbol is really the front wheel of a motorcycle.

Marathon Caption Competition (Take Two)
Apologies to those with motorcyclophobia.

Wednesday August 13, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #813.

Remember those Artifacts?

You know... the ones you collect to make a Prime Artifact.

Steve Cotton (Creative Director on Marathon). Somewhere In The Heavens - ViDoc.
Well Goose (@Goosewasinuse) remembers.

Artifact (WIP) left and right by Goose (@Goosewasinuse). May 15, 2025.
Goose writes:

The Heaven's Look Down At Me, And Smile As I Take What Is Mine.

Artifact by Goose (@Goosewasinuse) on x.com. May 21, 2025.
What happened to the Artifacts in Marathon?

Wiped out? Phhht! Just like that.

Prime Artifact animation development courtesy of Kennon Fleisher (formerly of Bungie Inc.)

Well build your own.

Tuesday August 12, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #812.

When Marathon Infinity was released it came with a new weapon.

The KKV-7 10mm Flechette SMG created by Bungie's Rob McLees.

The new weapon was revealed some months before the release of the game.

Bungie's website announced on June 12, 1996.

The New KKV-7 SMG.

Here's a cool new weapon for you. The KKV-7 10mm Flechette SMG. The weapon is hyper accurate and fires at a higher rate than the Assault Rifle. As an added bonus, the second trigger fires a burst underwater!

Fires underwater!!!

Marathoners' prayers had been answered. No more punching F'lickta to death underwater.

The need to use the secondary trigger to fire underwater was eventually dropped in favor of the primarly trigger for all firing.

The story goes that Double Aught requested that the now unused second trigger on the SMG turn the player's hand 90 degrees so you could shoot "gangsta-style".

Try it... and see what Bungie thought of the idea.

But I digress.

Jonathan Tipton-King (@jtiptonk), a graphic designer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area but now living in the Seattle, gives us this excellent render of the KKV-7 10mm SMG Flechette.

KKV-7 10mm SMG Flechette by Jonathan Tipton-King (@jtiptonk) on r/marathon. August 8, 2025.
Jonathan writes:

Well folks, here it is! My interpretation of the KKV-7 10mm SMG Flechette from Marathon Infinity.

After the positive response to the fusion pistol I wanted to do another- I thought it might be easier to just start with an MP5 and add the gigantic "wind screen" and drum magazine, but I ended up re-modeling the whole thing.

Modeled in C4D, textured with substance painter, and rendered with redshift.

No AI. Might make an animation at some point!

We featured Jonathan's Fusion Pistol render back on February 20, 2024.

Here are a few more images of his recent work.

KKV-7 10mm SMG Flechette by Jonathan Tipton-King (@jtiptonk) on r/marathon. August 8, 2025.
Jonathan visually reminds us what the KKV-7 SMG fires.

The Marathon Infinity manual goes into this with some detail.

...the flechette, with its small cross-section (4mm), longer body and pointed nose experiences far less wind resistance and thus retains more muzzle velocity over a greater distance with a flatter trajectory than its less advanced "slug-thrower" counterparts. its armor piercing capabilities rival those of the mighty M1A2 .75 BR and the bio-organic trauma it inflicts is terrifying (being somewhat less effective against mechanical targets).

Check out Jonathan's work on his website jonathantk.com and on Instagram.

Monday August 11, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #811.

Rule #1: Cardio.

The above NuMarathon edit is by Cleffy NuCal Chef (@TheNuCalChef) on YouTube.

While there are numerous NuMarathon edits out there this is one of my favorites.

It nicely combines NuMarathon 2023 with NuMarathon 2025 and uses the haunting Pyramid Song by Radiohead from their album, Amnesiac (2001).

The song's lyrics are inspired by the Egyptian underworld and ideas of cyclical time.

Can't go wrong with Radiohead.

I jumped into the river
Black-eyed angels swam with me

The Marathon Announcement 2023 trailer still rocks.

Sunday August 10, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #810.

biblical candy machines earthy sandy cracking schedules sculptures dumb stone unknowning alone

Happy Marathon Infinity Demo Day!

On this day 29 years ago the Marathon Infinity Demo was released on an unsuspecting world.

Neither Bungie or Double Aught had given much in the way of clues as to what to expect from the evocatively titled 'Blood Tides of Lh'owon' scenario.

ignorance like selfish solitude it the opium that dances the eye it's b-r-i-- an ashen hole

Bungie's press release for Marathon Infinity had talked about the game being based on the Marathon 2 world.

And went on to say:

Marathon Infinity will elaborate the Marathon story, laying bare many of the mysteries raised in the first two games about Durandal, Tycho and the player.

Never-before-used enhancements will free the player from the strict linearity of previous games.

The Infinity Demo read me provided no information on what to expect in terms of the story other than it would continue and broaden the Marathon story and to... expect the unexpected.

i see i hear i know the dark reflection of ~self seeping through my maze of mirrors my circus glass

Perhaps there were rules.

The first rule of Marathon Infinity is - you do not talk about Marathon Infinity.

The second rule of Marathon Infinity is - you DO NOT talk about Marathon Infinity!

Indeed the opening level of the demo was so obscure and quite depressing that Double Aught pretty much rewrote it for the final release.

i drop my gun and run shedding all the weight of imagined moments and fear because fear is not the blood not the light that plays casting light upon my field of grass

Fortunately you can read the original Infinity Demo terminals on the Story page.

Happy Marathon Infinity Demo Day!

Are you afraid to talk about Marathon Infinity?

Well Marathoners Anonymous is here to help you.

We have a seat here for you... beside Hamish.

Marathoners Anonymous group therapy tru7h circle.

7777 by UmbratheCyborg on Marathon Discord. June 11, 2024.

Saturday August 9, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #809.

Welcome to Lh'owon.

Were not so different after all... by kamil-a on tumblr. July 8, 2025.
Earlier this year we featured kamil_a (aka kam) on tumblr who was playing Marathon and drawing her iconic moments.

Well kam is back and doing Marathon 2: Durandal.

A very different game to Marathon.

Follow kam's exploits as she explores the ruins of a vanished civilization, in the shadow of alien mountains.

Here's an example of the quirky humor you can expect.

Durandal's new icon by kamil-a on tumblr. July 1, 2025.
Kam also does the occasonal throwback to the original game and the player's childhood memories and battleroid origins.

Dead soldiers were recycled in makeshift... by kamil-a on tumblr. August 1, 2025.

Friday August 8, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #808.

It's sketchy Friday.

It's also Happy Marathon 2 Reveal Day.

On this day 30 years ago Bungie unveiled their new game Marathon 2: Durandal at Macworld Expo 1995 in Boston (August 8-11).

Here's a report of what went down at the Bungie booth on the first day.

The author of the report, Steve Wood, got Jason Jones to sign his copy of the Marathon Manual (see below).

It now resides in the Museum of Marathon Antiquities.

You could also take home a Preview of Marathon 2: Durandal on Power Computing's "The Disc".

You could walk right up to their booth, grab it, take it home and play it.

Early access 20th century style!

Power Computing "The Disc" Macworld Expo 1995 in Boston (August 8-11)
Given the day that is in it here is a sketch of the WSTE-M5 Combat Shotgun.

Albeit slighty reworked by b(i)enny the MNHR.

WSTE-M5 by b(i)enny the MNHR on the Unofficial Marathon Discord. April 8, 2025.
b(i)enny writes:

see, I realized the complex loading mechanism could actually be made into something sensical i have revised it, the stock can now be removed

WSTE-M5 shorter by b(i)enny the MNHR on the Unofficial Marathon Discord. April 8, 2025.
The WSTE-M5 Combat Shotgun was used by Imperialist forces against the inserectionists during the Ares Raid on July 14, 2444.

This was during the Third Martian War.

Know your Martian history.

Want to know more?

Then check out the Marathon 2 Preview section.

Thursday August 7, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #807.

If you make it to the top
And you wanna stay alive
Don't lose your head

Did Glitch lose her head in the Marathon Reveal Cinematic Short?

UESC Peace Keepers say... yes!

UESC Poster by NavY on the Official Marathon Discord. April 23, 2025.
They blew her head clean off... again!

With each iteration they get better at it.

Void has a 1 in 7 chance of getting his music back.

Lucky Void.

Not so lucky Glitch.

Glitch by shini shini koroshi on the Official Marathon Discord. April 28, 2025.
Don't lose your head.

Wednesday August 6, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #806.

Meanwhile... on the outskirts of Dire Marsh where some rarely go...

Marathon by Logan (@Loguardsoule) on x.com. April 29, 2025.
The above piece is by Logan (@Loguardsoule), also known as SSGTSOULE, a 3D modeller in the United States.

Here's another version.

Marathon by SSGTSOULE on the Official Marathon Discord. April 30, 2025.
SSGTSOULE also created a YouTube video using a variant of his art and included ambient music.

You can see it below.

Has an eerie vibe.

Tuesday August 5, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #805.

Now for something completely different.

Everything is not as it seems{}. seems{}. seems{}.

In your own words describe what you see in this image.

Mjolnir Recon 54 by BoRiS (@borisalien.bsky.social) on Bluesky. June 25, 2025.
Thanfully the artist, BoRiS (@borisalien.bsky.social), provided a detailed (alt text) description.

Mjolnir Recon 54 cyborg punching a Pfhor in a narrow corridor, a Compiler charging its green blast in the background. John Marathon has a pair of vises for brass knuckles.

Vices?

Now I have heard of people being described as The Hammer or The Anvil but John "The Vice" Marathon?

Catchy.

He is also sporting the NuMarathon look.

Marathon Vice.

BoRiS also gives us a more traditional image of John "The Vice" Marathon.

Kersploosh by BoRiS (@borisalien.bsky.social) on Bluesky. April 18, 2025.
BoRiS writes:

John Marathon exploding the Pfhor above him with a grenade blast.

This of course is an adaption of Air Pfhor.

Air Pfhor. Whenever shooting at anything with explosive munitions, aim at their feet.

One of seven "some cool things to try" found on a secret terminal on Try again.

Monday August 4, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #804.

Waiting for Marathon.

subcontent (aka sen_yu_mi_lu), an aspiring concept artist from Hunan in China, is waiting to get on board the UESC Marathon.

Not the old and busted Marathon... the new hotness.

UESC Marathon by subcontent (aka sen_yu_mi_lu) on the Official Marathon Discord. May 5, 2025.
subcontent writes:

me 's thinking about the marathon map

If you've seen it then you know it's actually the old busted hotness now.

subcontent goes on to say:

been thinking about my own expectation about the marathon map i'm sketching some story beat

Here is subcontent's storyboard.

See if you can work out what's going on.

UESC Marathon storyboard by subcontent (aka sen_yu_mi_lu) on the Official Marathon Discord. May 8, 2025.

UESC Marathon storyboard by subcontent (aka sen_yu_mi_lu) on the Official Marathon Discord. May 8, 2025.
subcontent gives us a clue:

me think we might probably be teleport inside the marathon ship and eventually player will have to move to the outside deck (like a low-G environment, u know like COD 13 or sort) to be exfil

On the suject of new hotness, subcontent gives us Volcaloid Marathon.

Volcaloid Marathon by subcontent (@Q2726054234) on x.com. May 19, 2025.

Sunday August 3, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #803.

Happy Pathways Into Darkness Day.

Yes folks, on the this day 32 years ago Bungie began selling copies of Pathways Into Darkness at MacWorld Expo Boston August 3-6, 1993.

Bungie brought 500 copies of the game to the show and sold 350 of them.

You do the maths.

Tuncer Deniz in the December 1993 edition of Inside Mac Games magazine gave somes details about the development of Pathways Into Darkness.

By July, only the pyramid was finished, but all the levels underground remained to be created. The game was behind schedule and the pressure was on to ship by Macworld. Jones worked feverishly putting in 18 hour days, and rumor has it that Jones suffered a nervous breakdown (I'm just kidding).

By the end of July most of the game was finished, and went into beta about a week before the Expo. Just before leaving for Macworld, 500 copies of Pathways were duplicated and shrinkwrapped in the offices of Bungie Software for sale at the show. Despite the rush at the end, the program came out relatively bug-free, thanks to Jones' careful programming.

Interestingly, if you find the body of a dead Special Forces guy called Jason on the level Need A Light? and ask him about "pathways"...

Jason. The Golden One.
...you will get the following response.

I'm coding this script in the afternoon of
July 22nd, do you think we'll make MacWorld
on August 3rd?

Well they did and 350 people walked away with Pathways Into Darkness v1.0.

That's when the trouble started.

Fortunately those who bought the game after Macworld got Pathways Into Darkness v1.1.

Nobody talks about v1.0.

Nobody alive anyway.

Happy Pathways Into Darkness Day.

Watch Your Step.

Pathways Into Darkness by Craig Mullins on the Marathon Art of Craig Mullins gallery.

Saturday August 2, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #802.

Happy Marathon Reveal Day.

On this day 31 years ago Bungie revealed their new game Marathon at Macworld Expo 1994 in Boston.

Bungie had shown a Marathon Alpha at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco earlier that year but fans were highly critical of the quality of the game.

The late Spring '94 release date came and went.

Marathon needed more work.

If you are getting a déjà vu feeling about all this... welcome to Marathon where (circumstances are cyclical).

But back to the Marathon reveal on August 2, 1994.

People queued up for hours to play Marathon using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset.

In a MacFormat magazine interview Jason Jones explained how this 'magic' was achieved.

We knew we were eventually going to get into VR. We didn't expect it to be this soon, but from the start, we set up Marathon to let you look up and down, which is an important feature for a headset. We set it up so you could render a stereo image. If you plan from the start it's not a big deal.

Not a big deal?

To this day no one has been able to replicate playing Marathon on a CyberMaxx Virtual Reality headset leading some to believe that it was all faked like the moon landings.

Others point to timeline shenigans, alternate realities and in-game characters now wearing CyberMaxx headsets.

Happy Marathon Reveal Day.

(circumstances are cyclical).

Friday August 1, 2025

This Day in Marathon.

Day #801.

It's a new month.

It's sketchy Friday.

It's Happy Marathon: Durandal Day!

What happened last month? Where are the sketches? What is Durandal Day?

Decisions, descisions...

On this day 18 years ago Marathon: Durandal, an 'enhanced port' of Marathon 2: Durandal, was released for Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360. It was developed by Freeverse Inc. in association with Bungie Studios.

Marathon: Durandal offered high definition graphics and support for 720p widescreen displays.

It also came with a heart pounding Survival Mode.

The Survival Mode rule was simple. Survive long enough to extract.

Only there was no extraction and you always lost all your gear.

Times were tough for gamers back then.

Survival Mode came with four specifically designed levels to test your fortitude.

1. Calm Like Your Mom
2. Full Roaring Vapor
3. Road Warrior
4. Sonic Electronic Ball Breakers

Yes, Mom jokes were back!

Bruce Morrison (aka hippieman) explained how Survival Mode was conceived.

It was built originally to test the enemy spawning code, and one of the guys kind of come up with the ruleset logic in an afternoon. We played it on Beyond Thunderdome. Then another long time Marathoner came up with a few custom maps (on an old Ti Mac Book Pro), and our intern at large just kind of all of a sudden made a map having never touched Forge or Marathon before. It all came together really fast and just felt good.

I also wish we had made it multiplayer, sorry about that.

To celebrate the launch of Marathon: Durandal Bungie released the Marathon Durandal Tee.

However it was quickly pointed out that the Marathon Durandal Tee actually said Marathon 2 Durandal.

The shirt was quietly removed from the Bungie Store and the person responsible was sent to Gr'ndl Prime for conditioning. As was the way.

The Marathon Durandal Tee has become something of a collector's item assuming you can can find one.

The smart vibrant orange Marathon Durandal logo was carefully stored away for future use.

Happy Marathon: Durandal Day!

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Last updated August 1, 2025