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Bungie has posted a feedback sheet regarding the Marathon server slam, and surprisingly, it addresses almost every major gripe players have with the fledgling extraction shooter. Marathon has hit a tentative period following the access all areas server slam, which has left many players firmly on one side of the fence or the other.

The full game comes out next week, but Bungie has been quick to address key concerns right now based on feedback received from the server slam. That includes worries around the game’s overly complex UI and the lack of PvP-based clashes.

Bungie Recognizes PvP Woes in Marathon

In an article posted to social media, Bungie acknowledges six core issues with Marathon:

• UI Feedback
• PC Performance
• PvP Frequency
• Movement and Heat Generation
• Med and Ammo Economy
• Weasel Error Codes

When Marathon’s server slam opened, one of the more immediate concerns from players was around the game’s UI (User Interface), which is drastically complex. It’s a nightmare to understand right out of the gate, presenting a critical issue with onboarding. The team at Bungie said:

We are continuing to gather your posts and will keep iterating post‑launch (which, we’ll keep you posted on with regard to any future timelines once they’re available). Add your thoughts in the UI thread on our Discord so we can track them all in one place.

Another major worry was around the cadence of PvP clashes. Most players reported going an entire raid without even seeing other players, which is far from ideal for a PvPvE extraction game. It’s not at all like competing titles such as Escape from Tarkov and ARC Raiders, in which player-vs-player clashes are almost guaranteed.

The team wrote:

As we continue to keep an ear to the ground on this one, we’re further investigating total player density on non-beginner maps to cover all of our bases. If you’ve got any feedback – be it on Perimeter (Beginner), Perimeter, or Dire Marsh – we want to hear it!

In the first update post-launch, the team said that the player count on the game’s earliest maps had been boosted to promote more combat between players.

Movement and ‘heat generation’ have also been named as tricky areas. In Marathon, ‘heat’ replaces stamina, and the more aggressively you move, the faster you burn out and hit a wall. Many have reported that this happens far too quickly and the ramifications are far too impactful, and Bungie is investigating improvements.

Also, the lack of medical and ammo-based loot has been a gripe with players. It seems impossible to find meaningful amounts of ammunition around the map, and that’s a clear issue in a game with bullet-sponge AI enemies.

The Marathon server slam finishes tomorrow, March 2, and the full game hits the market on March 5. Do you think enough changes will be made to make it feel like a ‘better game’ at launch?

Let us know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming Discord server.

For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Netflix is being removed from PS3 tomorrow