Bungie has unveiled the minimum system specifications for PC players eager to experience Marathon during its upcoming closed alpha. Surprisingly, the requirements suggest that most modern gaming PCs—even those with older hardware—should handle the alpha build comfortably.

Originally introduced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon revives Bungie's classic '90s FPS franchise as a live-service extraction shooter. The studio recently showcased gameplay, revealing key mechanics, character classes, and a confirmed release date of September 23. Now, with the closed alpha approaching, Bungie has shared the baseline hardware needed to participate.

The closed alpha, limited to North American and Canadian applicants, will run from April 23 to May 4. Selected players will need an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti, AMD RX 5500 XT, or Intel Arc A580 GPU—hardware considered entry-level by today's standards. Paired with an Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 CPU and 8GB RAM, these specs suggest Bungie has prioritized accessibility for the alpha.

Marathon PC Closed Alpha Playtest Minimum System Requirements

Minimum Specs

Operating system

Windows 10 or later

CPU

Intel Core i5 6600

AMD Ryzen 5 2600

GPU

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4GB)

AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (4GB)

Intel Arc A580 (8GB)

Storage

N/A

RAM

8GB

DirectX version

DirectX 12 with Feature Level 12_1 support

Notably, Bungie hasn't disclosed the alpha's storage requirements, leaving players guessing whether an SSD will be necessary. Given modern gaming trends, an SSD might become a recommendation post-alpha. More detailed specs, including recommended and ultra settings, are expected after the playtest concludes.

While these requirements are impressively low for a visually stylized live-service shooter, Bungie cautions that they may change before Marathon's full release. For now, the studio aims to maximize participation, ensuring diverse feedback to refine the game ahead of its September debut.