Report: Marathon Delay Likely as Sony Cancels All Paid Marketing Plans

Report: Marathon Delay Likely as Sony Cancels All Paid Marketing Plans [UPDATE]

Bungie’s Marathon is likely to be delayed as a new report claims the studio has canceled all paid marketing plans.

thegamepost.com

TL;DR: Bungie’s reboot of Marathon has hit one snag after another – from a plagiarism scandal (they swiped art from indie creator ANTIREAL) to lukewarm closed-alpha feedback that prompted a shift from a big open beta to “public playtests.” Internal sources even call the studio’s leadership “toxic,” and morale is reportedly in free fall.

Now comes word that Sony has pulled the plug on all paid marketing for the game – a hugely unusual move for a high-profile release. With a September 23 launch looming, this cancellation pretty much screams “delay,” though neither Bungie nor Sony have officially commented yet.