Sony CFO says Marathon is expected to release before March, and Bungie’s independence is ‘getting lighter’
“We are now fixing the problems, so we believe this launch will happen”
Sony’s chief financial officer has said she expects Marathon to release by the end of March 2026.
In a Q&A session following the company’s latest financial results, Sony‘s execs were asked about the current state of Marathon following the shooter’s official delay, and whether it was factored into Sony’s forecast for the current fiscal year.
The caller also asked for an update on the management of Bungie, as well as what Sony would do in the worst case scenario if Marathon was to be cancelled outright.
Sony CFO Lin Tao responded by saying Marathon is planned to release within the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2026.
“First, about Marathon, how we factored it in the forecast, we expect the launch to happen within the fiscal year,” she replied (via an interpreter). “But, having said that, this is not a commitment. No official announcement has been given yet.”
She added: “We are now doing modifications in development and, based on the progress, in the autumn time frame we believe we can communicate when we can launch [Marathon], either from Bungie or PlayStation.”
With regards to Bungie, Tao reiterated Sony’s decision to take more control over the studio’s management, with the eventual aim being to completely integrate it into PlayStation Studios.
“About the governance of Bungie, at the time of acquisition we were offering a very independent environment, so that was one way of thinking,” Tao explained. “However, thereafter, we have gone through structural reform, as we announced last year, so this independence is getting lighter, and Bungie is shifting into a role which is becoming more part of PlayStation Studios, and integration is proceeding.
“So in the long term, if you can see this as an ongoing process, the direction [for Bungie] is to become part of PlayStation Studios.”
As for whether Marathon would be cancelled, Tao said she currently doesn’t expect this to happen, saying: “We are now fixing the problems, so we believe this launch will happen. If this launch is cancelled we’d need to do the revision of the valuation, however as of now this is not expected.”
Marathon was originally planned to release on September 23, but Bungie announced in June that it had officially delayed the game, claiming that it needs more time to refine and test it.
“Through every comment and real-time conversation on social media and Discord, your voice has been strong and clear,” Bungie’s statement read. “We’ve taken this to heart, and we know we need more time to craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion. After much discussion within our Dev team, we’ve made the decision to delay the September 23rd release.
