Marathon Symbiosis adds PvE Expeditions on December 8 with a free week
A 3v3 deathmatch beta, the Limbo social space and the blade-wielding Bishop shell arrive too, and progress from the December 8 to 15 free week carries over.
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Marathon's Symbiosis update arrives on December 8, 2026, and it brings the extraction shooter's first PvE-only mode, a 3v3 deathmatch beta and a social space. Bungie and Sony revealed it on November 10 through the PlayStation Blog. The game is also free to play during an Open Play Week from December 8 to 15.
Progress made during the free week carries over if you buy the game afterwards, according to PC Gamer. No launch hour has been announced, so the exact time in Malaysia is not known yet.
What's confirmed
Expedition (PvE). The headline addition is Expedition, described on the PlayStation Blog as "Phase 1" of a PvE-only mode built around a series of three runs. You can play solo or with a crew, with no PvP threat. Flash Boosts let you shape your build during a run. PC Gamer reports that Bungie's trailer calls it a "co-op PvE roguelite", and IGN says challenges scale as you push deeper.
Deathmatch (Beta). A 3v3 Team Deathmatch mode in short matches. Two crews fight for points, and nobody risks their permanent loadout.
Limbo. A new social space with firing ranges for testing weapons and gear, plus a dueling pit for settling arguments.
Perimeter rework. The starting zone is overgrown with fungal and alien life, adding the underground Burrows and the flooded Reservoir. A boss called the Tick Queen waits below the surface; IGN describes it as a giant crab.
New Runner shell and guns. Bishop is a fast, blade-wielding Runner shell. The V17 Flamethrower covers short-range area denial, and the Maverick adds a revolver with a hand-cannon feel.
Free week and platforms. Open Play Week runs December 8 to 15 alongside the update. The PlayStation Blog says Marathon is on PS5 with full cross-play and cross-save. It is also sold on Steam, where it launched on March 5, 2026, and lists at RM129 in Malaysia. Normal play on console requires a paid online subscription, the blog notes, and we have not confirmed whether that applies during the free week.
Background
Marathon is Bungie's revival of its own 1994 Mac shooter series, rebuilt as a PvPvE extraction game. The Verge describes its first months as a rough start, and IGN says the game has been struggling since launch. Bungie itself told Destiny fans in October not to buy Marathon just to support the studio.
The PvE move follows a pattern in the genre. IGN contrasts Bungie's approach with Arc Raiders, which lets players run the normal extraction loop without other players. Marathon instead keeps PvE in a separate mode with its own roguelite progression. Escape from Tarkov went a similar way in 2024 with a separate PvE mode, sold as part of a pricier edition. Bungie has run free trials before: Destiny 2 went free-to-play with New Light in 2019, and the studio has used free weeks to pull lapsed players back ever since.
My take: what it means for players
This is the update Marathon needed at launch. Extraction shooters have a brutal learning curve: you lose your kit to a squad that has played 300 hours, and you never get to learn the map. IGN's description of the old Perimeter as either a meat grinder or a ghost town matches what the genre does to new players. A PvE mode, a deathmatch warm-up and a firing range give people somewhere to practise before they risk gear.
The 3v3 deathmatch is the sleeper addition for me. A low-stakes mode where your loadout is safe is how Counter-Strike players warm up, and it is how a shooter keeps its regulars playing between big raids. Bishop is the shell I'd watch for balance: a fast melee shell in a game about ambushes could be either a counterplay tool or a new frustration, and we will only know once it hits real matches.
The free week is the honest move. Bungie is not asking you to pay to find out whether it improved. If you bounced off in March, December 8 is the week to try again. Carry-over progress removes the last excuse.
What we don't know yet
- Launch time. No hour has been given for December 8, so the time in MYT is unknown.
- Expedition's later phases. Bungie calls this Phase 1 and has not said what comes after.
- Subscription during the free week. It is not yet clear whether console players need PS Plus to join Open Play Week.
- Price changes. No discount or price cut has been announced alongside the update.
Quick facts
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Update | Marathon: Symbiosis |
| Release | December 8, 2026 (no time announced) |
| Free week | Open Play Week, December 8 to 15, progress carries over |
| New modes | Expedition (PvE, Phase 1), Deathmatch Beta (3v3), Limbo social space |
| New content | Bishop Runner shell, V17 Flamethrower, Maverick revolver, Tick Queen boss |
| Steam price (Malaysia) | RM129, launched March 5, 2026 |
FAQ
When does Marathon Symbiosis launch?
December 8, 2026, for all players. Bungie has not announced a launch time yet.
Is Marathon free to play?
Not normally, but it is free during Open Play Week from December 8 to 15. PC Gamer reports progress carries over if you buy it.
Does Marathon have a PvE mode now?
Yes. Expedition is a PvE-only mode with a three-run structure, playable solo or in a crew. It arrives with Symbiosis.
What is Limbo in Marathon?
A social space where players can meet, test weapons in firing ranges and fight each other in a dueling pit.
More: Bungie to Destiny fans: don't buy Marathon to support us.
Sources: PlayStation Blog (Marathon Symbiosis post); Steam (Marathon store page); PC Gamer; IGN; The Verge. Image: official Marathon screenshot via Steam (Bungie).
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