Bungie offers gamers $500 to playtest Marathon

Bungie is ramping up testing for Marathon, and this time, players can walk away with a $500 reward just for taking part in the playtest.

The upcoming extraction shooter has had a bumpy road so far. After a lukewarm response during its Closed Alpha Test and a plagiarism controversy involving in-game artwork, Bungie made the tough call to delay Marathon's original September 2025 release date. At present, there's no confirmed launch timeline.

Now, the studio is running an extended behind-the-scenes playtest—and offering a generous incentive to participants. According to an email obtained by TheGamePost, selected players will take part in a 30-day test starting Monday, September 8, and ending Tuesday, October 7. Participants are required to play for at least one hour daily—between 3–7 PM PST on weekdays and 2–8 PM PST on weekends.

In return, players will receive a $500 gift card of their choice upon completion of the full 30-day commitment. Partial participation will still earn a proportionate reward based on the number of days completed. At the minimum one-hour daily requirement, that works out to about $16.60 per hour—significantly higher than most paid playtest opportunities.

There’s a catch, though: this playtest is invite-only. However, anyone who’s previously participated in Marathon testing should check their inbox to see if they’ve received an invitation. Those hoping to join future tests can head over to Bungie’s official website, create an account, and opt in for future playtesting opportunities.

Paid community playtests aren’t unusual, but few offer a payout as high as $500. Bungie seems keen to gather meaningful feedback this time around—and they’re willing to pay for it.