Sony's latest State of Play event concluded without any mention of Bungie's Marathon, a worrying sign for the upcoming extraction shooter. Developed by the acclaimed studio behind Halo and Destiny, Marathon is a sci-fi shooter with a striking visual style. However, this art direction has recently landed the game in controversy.

Reports surfaced that a former Bungie employee allegedly plagiarized some of Marathon's artwork. Bungie responded with an apology and pledged to review the game for any additional unauthorized assets. This art plagiarism controversy has negatively impacted public perception, compounded by the underwhelming feedback from alpha testers.

Between the plagiarism scandal and the lackluster alpha tests, Marathon faces an uphill battle. While Sony has not officially confirmed scrapping its marketing plans, the game's absence from State of Play speaks volumes. Despite a scheduled September 23 release, Marathon was conspicuously missing from the event, potentially indicating a lack of confidence in its prospects.

Sony's live-service ventures have had mixed results. While Helldivers 2 succeeded, Concord failed spectacularly, leading to its rapid shutdown. Marathon, Sony's next live-service attempt, is struggling to gain momentum. Fans are advocating for a delayed release and a shift to a free-to-play model, though Bungie has yet to confirm any changes.

Developed by Sony-owned Bungie, Marathon is set to launch on PC and Xbox Series X alongside PlayStation, with no PSN account required for non-PlayStation players.

The absence of Marathon at State of Play hints at a possible delay. If the game fails to attract an audience and meets the same fate as Concord, it would be a significant blow to Sony, especially after its $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie. The future of Marathon remains uncertain, but current indicators are far from promising.