Marathon Has a Major Advantage Over Arc Raiders

Marathon, Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter, has become a lightning rod for discussion. Part of this is because of Bungie’s history through Halo and Destiny, but another is also due to the various controversies surrounding Marathon’s development and some of the decisions regarding Destiny 2. Then there is the incredible reception following the launch of Arc Raiders, another extraction shooter from Embark Studios. While Marathon’s development has been troubled, there is one major difference that could see it come out on top over other games in the genre.

At its core, Marathon is designed around a competitive looting and survival loop that pits players against each other and AI threats. These high-stakes situations are usually resolved through violence, and this is where Marathon will shine. Bungie has long been behind some of the best gunplay in the industry. Decades of experience tuning shooters have made Bungie’s work feel great not just as gun designers, but as developers that make shooting feel good.

Bungie’s Gunplay is Second to None

One of Bungie’s most consistent strengths across its franchises has been how its weapons feel in the player’s hands. Halo is often cited as a near gold standard for responsive, impactful shooting mechanics that reward precision and timing. Destiny 2 refined that foundation into a polished live service experience with fluid movement and satisfying feedback on every hit. These games have shaped expectations for what shooters should feel like, influencing countless developers. This is a major advantage Marathon brings into the extraction genre, where gunplay mechanics can make or break a title.

Player impressions from early tests and community posts reflect this perception. Many runners in closed playtests emphasized how satisfying Marathon’s moment-to-moment shooting felt compared to other extraction shooters. With how fast-paced and intense these moments are, gunplay needs to be responsive. Runs often hinge on these make-or-break moments that are either determined by who pulled the trigger first or who has the better weapon. Bungie has all but perfected guns in each of its games, but Marathon is poised to exemplify this.

When every encounter hinges on split-second decisions and accurate shots, solid weapon mechanics provide a foundation that most extraction shooters struggle to marry with broader systemic depth. We don’t know yet how many weapons will be available, but Bungie has confirmed that players can modify their weapons with attachments to fine-tune them. This allows for customization that lets players have intimate knowledge of what firepower they bring into a run, further deepening the foundation. That foundation could be Marathon’s lasting strength.

Arc Raiders Is Fun, but Its Guns Needs Work

ARC Raiders has drawn considerable praise for its extraction shooter take, especially around its environmental design, sound, and traditional loot mechanics. Many players on Steam and Reddit have described their experiences as engaging and enjoyable, particularly appreciating aspects that feel familiar to fans of the genre’s classics. Reviews and impressions often highlight how ARC Raiders’ responsiveness and sound design help immerse players in its world, making every firefight feel dramatic and tense.

Yet, even in those positive discussions, gunplay consistently emerges as a point of contention. While ARC Raiders’ weapons can feel snappy, they have also been critiqued for inconsistent impact and insufficient clarity in hit feedback. Some players have described its gunplay as mushy and lacking the visceral impact that keeps fights exciting and memorable. This may be one of the reasons why players often lean into the “Don’t shoot” mentality and push the game’s PvE aspects.

In contrast, Marathon’s playtests were frequently praised for more satisfying shooting loops and a tighter weapon feel. For many players, this difference is significant enough that it shapes their overall reception of each game. This does not make one game better than the other necessarily. But when shooting is one of the most important aspects of a game, it has to be at the top of its game. Arc Raiders is not without merit, far from it. But after countless hours in the game, I still get frustrated with the weaponry, especially after bringing epic weapons into a run only to get mowed down by players with common weapons.

Regardless of its other aspects, I have no doubt Bungie will nail the gunplay in Marathon. I often play friendly and passive in Arc Raiders, but the encounters I have with other players often have me wanting more. Between the Shells and various weaponry we’ve seen so far, Marathon could easily be one of the most varied and exciting shooters in a long time.

Marathon Can Showcase the Shooter Aspect of Extraction Shooters

Where Marathon may ultimately differentiate itself is in leveraging Bungie’s legacy in crafting shooters that feel right. In extraction shooters, the tension of entering hotspots, securing loot, and surviving against both AI and human adversaries hinges on trust in your weapons and movement. When a gun feels powerful, responsive, and consistent, every choice feels weighty, and every engagement becomes an opportunity to shine. This is arguably where Marathon’s advantage lies.

Even amid frustration from some corners of the community, there are voices within Marathon’s fanbase that appreciate this core foundation and believe it will carry the game forward. Players with experience in other extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov or ARC Raiders have noted that strong gunplay can keep them engaged even when other systems feel less compelling. Extraction shooters can easily lose dedicated fans if the game feels unfair or unrewarding. With Bungie’s pedigree of shooting, this shouldn’t be an issue.

It is worth noting that Marathon still has work to do in refining its identity and systems ahead of its March 2026 release, including AI behavior, environmental depth, and feature completeness. We’ve already seen Arc Raiders set an incredibly high bar for the elements surrounding shooting. Bungie has the talent to make the gunplay shine and show why extraction shooters bring players in, but it does need to attend to these secondary aspects. As Marathon continues to evolve, its core weapon feel could become the defining reason it earns a spot at the top of the extraction shooter space, even if it doesn’t manage to compete with Arc Raiders peripheries.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!