Sometimes, it’s the features that feel obvious that take the longest to arrive. In the case of Marathon, Bungie’s long-requested Duo queues are finally taking shape, but not without a bit of experimentation first. Instead of rolling it out as a fully supported feature from day one, the studio has spent weeks testing and refining the experience across multiple playlists. It’s a slower approach, but one that suggests Bungie is taking player feedback seriously before locking anything in.
Over the past several weeks, Bungie has been testing a Duo queue across multiple zones, including Perimeter, Dire Marsh, and Outpost. The mode allowed two players to drop in together instead of going solo or as part of a full three-player squad, which immediately changes how the game feels. For many players, this is the sweet spot between coordination and accessibility, offering a middle ground that the base game was missing at launch. It’s also why the demand for this mode has been so consistent since release.
It’s as if Bungie wasn’t paying attention to what Embark did for Arc Raiders, by testing and then eventually enabling its own Duo matchmaking shortly after the game released. I figured they’d course and add it prior Marathon’s launch, but Bungie didn’t.
Now, that experiment is coming to a close, at least in its current form. According to Game Director Joe Ziegler, Bungie has gathered enough data from the Duo queue tests to begin finalizing plans for Season 2. While the current version of the mode is being retired, it’s clear this isn’t the end of Duo support, but rather a transition into something more refined. The goal now seems to be taking what worked, fixing what didn’t, and preparing a more complete version for the next season.
“Our experiment is almost complete with the duos queue and we’ve gathered a lot of valuable information to help us finalize our plans for duos for Season 2.”
Bungie has now shut down the Outpost – Duos queue as of April 8 at 10 AM PT, signaling the end of this testing phase, with something new already on the horizon. That closure isn’t a pause so much as a handoff into the next round of testing, which Bungie appears to be ramping up quickly. The studio has made it clear that these experiments are part of a broader effort to shape the game alongside its community. If anything, this suggests a more iterative development approach than what players saw at launch.
A new experimental queue is scheduled to begin on April 14 or 15 (it was mentioned on two different dates, so we’re not sure what’s the deal). Bungie says more details are coming soon, suggesting the studio is continuing to iterate quickly based on player feedback. The pace of these updates shows a willingness to adjust in real time, rather than waiting for larger seasonal overhauls. My guess is that this time, the Duo queue will focus on Cyro Crypt, the current endgame raid in Marathon, which would make sense given the need to test how smaller teams handle high-level content.
“We’re looking to bring the queue back better than ever in the course of Season 2.”
That last part is the key takeaway, because Duo mode isn’t just a limited-time experiment anymore. It’s clearly something Bungie sees as a core part of Marathon’s future, especially as the game continues to evolve post-launch. For a title built around tension, extraction, and squad dynamics, having a Duo option fills a major gap between solo play and full squads. I can tell you from the 100+ hours in the game, I’d rather my buddy and jump into a game than pick up a third random person.
With Season 2, Nightfall, expected to arrive in June 2026, Duo mode looks ready to return in a more polished, fully realized form. The real question is whether it will feel like a true evolution of the system or a feature that simply arrived later than it should have. Either way, it’s clear Bungie is committed to getting it right this time, even if it means taking the long road to get there.
