Ahead of the online extraction shooter Marathon’s launch on 5 March, Bungie has outlined its measures to curb cheating, detailing a myriad of systems set in place to ensure a fair playing ground for players.
As described in a blog post, the studio clarified that although no network or security model can guarantee complete protection against would-be cheaters, it is committed to making sure players have the fairest gameplay experience possible, and will put into place five major anti-cheat measures: Dedicated server networking, the “Fog of War” system, client security upgrades, data analytics, and connection recovery.
Marathon will rely on a dedicated server that is “fully authoritative over movement, shooting, actions, and inventory”, meaning that any “invalid” client actions will be automatically rejected by a new server authority model without affecting other players’ games. This method aims to prevent exploits like unlimited ammo, no-clip hacks, or damage manipulation. Additionally, this model also offers systems that improve gameplay fluidity, reducing latency and allowing players to consistently land shots regardless of their internet connection speeds.
To tackle any cheats that can potentially reveal the location of in-game items or player positions, such as wall hacks, Marathon will also implement a “Fog of War” system, which runs on the game server and limits “the regions of a map that players have knowledge of, based on what they should be able to sense in their surroundings.” To complement these security measures, the studio has also invested in client-side security upgrades that combine “third-party game security software plus additional proprietary security layers”, including both “user-mode and kernel-mode components.”
Bungie is also committed to consistently analysing data on players’ actions, with data collected by the game’s server then run through its backend analysis system to check for unusual patterns. As a backup layer of security, the studio will also employ a team of security analysts who will also check the collected data for anomalies. Finally, as Marathon is an always-online title, the team will also implement a connection recovery system, explaining that when players disconnect mid-game, they will leave a “shell” of their character behind that can be protected by their teammates. Once a player restarts their connection, they are able to reconnect to their “shells” and continue the game without losing valuable loot.
With these measures in place, Bungie also issued a stern warning to any would-be cheaters out there, explaining that the team is “taking a strong stance against cheating and anyone found to be cheating or developing cheats will be permanently banned from playing Marathon forever, no second chances.” Of course, the team admitted that no anti-cheat system is perfect, and that appeal systems for players will be put in place for those who feel their ban is unwarranted.
The issue of cheating has always been a sore spot in any multiplayer-focused title, especially competitive ones such as Marathon, so it’s refreshing to see a studio being so transparent about their measures ahead of a game’s launch, and this should hopefully lead to a fairer gameplay experience for players.
Marathon will be launching a “Server Slam” event on 26 February, where players will be able to experience a small slice of the game early with all its security tools in place, which also helps the studio test out the effectiveness of its anti-cheat measures. The game launches proper on 5 March 2026 on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
