Marathon’s punishing PvP gameplay loop is taking its toll on less-skilled players, but that’s likely by design

One of Marathon's selling points is that it's a tough PvP experience, but that could be hurting it in the long run, even for players who enjoy the game despite its difficulty. A lot of Bungie's marketing around its new extraction shooter is that it's tough. "Escape Will Make Me God," "Death is The First Step," etc. And with those deaths is supposed to come lessons, and gradual improvement over time. Image via Bungie But some lesser skilled players are feeling the pain, even with many hours logged into the game, struggling to progress while getting outplayed or outnumbered by better teams of gamers across Marathon's multiple maps and scenarios. "I’m level 43 in Marathon and I swear every match feels like I’m being thrown against sweaty pro Twitch streamers," one player said in a March 12 Reddit post. "I’m not exaggerating—I lose almost every PvP encounter instantly. I’ve got no credits, no decent weapons, and I’m stuck running free kits because I literally can’t progress." This particular person said that they "want to enjoy the game so badly, but right now it feels like I’m being punished for even trying," and I feel their pain. I'm a solo player, too, and I either queue solo or with random teammates and hope for the best. Results vary wildly. In spite of this, I am enjoying Marathon quite a bit, but I could easily see that changing if struggles mount, loot continues to be drained from my vault as opposed to adding to it, and progression stalls. "What’s killing me is that I love the lore, the world, the atmosphere… everything about this game on paper is exactly my thing," the Reddit post continued. "But in practice? I can’t actually play it. I load in, get deleted, lose what little I had, repeat. It feels like Bungie didn’t put much thought into players who aren’t cracked at PvP or who just don’t have the reflexes of a competitive shooter player." The Reddit thread was filled with players offering tips, like to use better positioning, be a bit stealthier, use good headphones to listen to the game's sound cues intently, play as Rook to replenish your vault, etc. And there were also quite a few gamers who admitted that they were getting older and don't really have the same hand-eye coordination or reflexes they used to, and are getting punished for it. Screenshot by Destructoid I think the unfortunate truth about Marathon is that it just may not be the game to play for those who aren't proficient in PvP, and that stinks for people who enjoy the game elsewise. But for now, it feels like that's by design. "This is the downfall of Marathon, a huge amount of potential for fun and exciting gameplay but people don't wanna give it a try so we're stuck with a majority of sweats wiping lobbies," another gamer said. "Unfortunately for you guys, I am absolutely cracked and have stacked up a considerable amount of good loot, and will continue to do so. When you're an absolute beast at the game, it is super fun and engaging/addicting." Marathon is extremely niche in this regard, because it does cater to those who excel at PvP, meaning a good majority of players will be scared away. What this means for the game's longevity is still to be decided, but if the player population ends up diluting into just the sweatiest of sweats, that could make for a sour experience for everyone. The post Marathon’s punishing PvP gameplay loop is taking its toll on less-skilled players, but that’s likely by design appeared first on Destructoid.

Mar 13, 2026 - 23:25

Marathon’s punishing PvP gameplay loop is taking its toll on less-skilled players, but that’s likely by design

One of Marathon's selling points is that it's a tough PvP experience, but that could be hurting it in the long run, even for players who enjoy the game despite its difficulty.

A lot of Bungie's marketing around its new extraction shooter is that it's tough. "Escape Will Make Me God," "Death is The First Step," etc. And with those deaths is supposed to come lessons, and gradual improvement over time.

Image via Bungie But some lesser skilled players are feeling the pain, even with many hours logged into the game, struggling to progress while getting outplayed or outnumbered by better teams of gamers across Marathon's multiple maps and scenarios.

"I’m level 43 in Marathon and I swear every match feels like I’m being thrown against sweaty pro Twitch streamers," one player said in a March 12 Reddit post. "I’m not exaggerating—I lose almost every PvP encounter instantly. I’ve got no credits, no decent weapons, and I’m stuck running free kits because I literally can’t progress."

This particular person said that they "want to enjoy the game so badly, but right now it feels like I’m being punished for even trying," and I feel their pain. I'm a solo player, too, and I either queue solo or with random teammates and hope for the best. Results vary wildly.

In spite of this, I am enjoying Marathon quite a bit, but I could easily see that changing if struggles mount, loot continues to be drained from my vault as opposed to adding to it, and progression stalls.

"What’s killing me is that I love the lore, the world, the atmosphere… everything about this game on paper is exactly my thing," the Reddit post continued. "But in practice? I can’t actually play it. I load in, get deleted, lose what little I had, repeat. It feels like Bungie didn’t put much thought into players who aren’t cracked at PvP or who just don’t have the reflexes of a competitive shooter player."

The Reddit thread was filled with players offering tips, like to use better positioning, be a bit stealthier, use good headphones to listen to the game's sound cues intently, play as Rook to replenish your vault, etc. And there were also quite a few gamers who admitted that they were getting older and don't really have the same hand-eye coordination or reflexes they used to, and are getting punished for it.

Screenshot by Destructoid I think the unfortunate truth about Marathon is that it just may not be the game to play for those who aren't proficient in PvP, and that stinks for people who enjoy the game elsewise. But for now, it feels like that's by design.

"This is the downfall of Marathon, a huge amount of potential for fun and exciting gameplay but people don't wanna give it a try so we're stuck with a majority of sweats wiping lobbies," another gamer said. "Unfortunately for you guys, I am absolutely cracked and have stacked up a considerable amount of good loot, and will continue to do so. When you're an absolute beast at the game, it is super fun and engaging/addicting."

Marathon is extremely niche in this regard, because it does cater to those who excel at PvP, meaning a good majority of players will be scared away. What this means for the game's longevity is still to be decided, but if the player population ends up diluting into just the sweatiest of sweats, that could make for a sour experience for everyone.

The post Marathon’s punishing PvP gameplay loop is taking its toll on less-skilled players, but that’s likely by design appeared first on Destructoid.

Tags:

Transport Tycoon Deluxe returns from Atari - now a requirement for OpenTTD via S...

What's Your Reaction?

Dislike

Love

Funny

Angry

Sad

Wow

XINKER - Business and Income Tips Explore XINKER, the ultimate platform for mastering business strategies, discovering passive income opportunities, and learning success principles. Join a community of thinkers dedicated to achieving financial freedom and entrepreneurial excellence.