Bungie creative director debunks rumor of Marathon and Destiny merger
A wild rumor suggesting Bungie might merge its sci-fi shooter franchises Marathon and Destiny 2 into a single universe has been officially squashed.
According to PC Gamer, the rumor originated in a lengthy 4chan post that later spread to Reddit. The so-called leak claimed there was internal discussion about reworking the two games into one combined property, with Marathon's setting acting as a prequel to Destiny's lore.
Marathon creative director Julia Nardin directly addressed the claim on social media, per Kotaku. Nardin stated that, having worked on both games, she can verify the merger story is completely false. She described the franchises as sharing Bungie's DNA but being independent entities, and advised fans not to believe everything they read online.
The rumor gained traction as fans grapple with Destiny 2's content concluding and Marathon's rocky post-launch performance, which has seen the studio delay updates and shift its seasonal model. Bungie's communications lead also reposted Nardin's denial.
While the merger idea is dead, neither outlet's reporting confirmed or denied other aspects of the leak, such as a potential free-to-play shift for Marathon.
