Bungie, the studio that shaped a generation of shooters with Halo and Destiny, is stepping back from the extraction shooter vision it once championed for Marathon — a quiet acknowledgment that even experienced architects sometimes must tear down a wall before the house can stand. The decision, arriving years into development and after a missed 2025 launch window, reflects a broader reckoning in the live-service gaming industry, where the distance between a compelling concept and a sustainable player experience has proven vast. What Marathon becomes next remains unwritten, but the willingness t