Bungie has asked game reviewers to hold off on publishing full scored reviews of Marathon until the game’s endgame zone becomes available later this month.
The studio sent guidance to media outlets around the game’s March 5 launch confirming there is no embargo on coverage, impressions, livestreams, or general content. But the message included a specific request: wait to publish full reviews until critics can access Cryo Archive, described as Marathon‘s “pinnacle endgame zone and experience.”
Cryo Archive is scheduled to unlock in the second half of March. Bungie explicitly framed the request as voluntary, stating it “isn’t a mandate, but a request/suggestion.”
The guidance has drawn attention because Marathon is already on sale. Players can purchase and play the game now, but the complete endgame experience won’t be available for weeks after launch.
Outlets like Push Square have confirmed receiving the request and stated they will respect it. Multiple publications obtained copies of Bungie’s message to reviewers, which launched at 10 a.m. PST on March 5.
Time-gating endgame content is common in live-service games. Bungie frequently delays raid launches in Destiny expansions to give players time to level up and create a competitive world-first race. However, asking reviewers to delay scored assessments weeks after a game goes on sale is less typical.
Early Steam data adds context to the unusual request. Marathon‘s launch day peak concurrent player count came in below 100,000 on the platform, with figures hovering around 89,000 to 90,000 players. The game currently holds a 91% positive rating on Steam based on early reviews.
Those numbers only reflect PC players on Steam. Marathon is also available on PlayStation 5, meaning total player counts across all platforms are higher than Steam data alone suggests.
Bungie’s approach creates an odd situation for both critics and consumers. Any outlet can technically publish a review immediately, especially if they purchase the game rather than use a review code. But the request suggests the studio believes the game can’t be fairly evaluated without experiencing Cryo Archive. The endgame zone appears to function similarly to a raid in Bungie’s Destiny series.
