Bungie has been actively listening to player feedback surrounding Marathon, particularly when it comes to matchmaking issues in regions with lower player populations. Since the game’s release, players in certain parts of the world have reported long queue times, difficulty finding matches, or being unable to matchmake at all during off-peak hours.
Regions such as South America, parts of Asia, and Australia have been among the most affected. In these areas, the smaller player pool has made it harder for the game’s matchmaking system to consistently create full matches, leading to frustration for those trying to jump in and play.
In response, Bungie has rolled out a new update as of March 23, 2026, aimed at improving matchmaking for those players. Dubbed the “Regional Matchmaking Update,” the change is designed to help players in more isolated geographic regions find games more quickly.
“We have deployed an update to matchmaking that should help players in more isolated geographic regions find games more quickly.”
Bungie also acknowledged that improving matchmaking is a balancing act, as expanding the pool of available players can sometimes come at the cost of higher latency.
“We will continue monitoring the right balance between fast matchmaking times and low-latency matches.”
This update suggests that Bungie is willing to make adjustments behind the scenes to ensure players can actually get into matches, even if it means slightly broader matchmaking parameters. For players in affected regions, this could significantly reduce wait times and improve overall accessibility.
Still, this is likely just the first step. Matchmaking in live-service games, especially those with PvPvE elements like Marathon, relies heavily on maintaining a healthy and active player base across all regions. Bungie’s continued monitoring will be key in determining whether further adjustments or features, such as manual region selection, may be needed in the future.
For now, players in previously impacted regions should begin to see improvements, as Bungie continues refining the experience based on community feedback.
Marathon is currently available for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
