15 Games Like Marathon You Need to Play in 2026

Marathon marked Bungie’s return, launching in March 2026 as a PvPvE extraction shooter set on the derelict colony world of Tau Ceti IV. You drop in as a Runner, scavenge for loot, survive rival crews and UESC security, and race to extract before another squad or the Anomaly ends your run. Bungie’s signature gunplay and build-crafting give it a distinct feel in a crowded genre. If you want more games that deliver that infil-loot-exfil tension, this list is for you.

These 15 picks each capture part of what makes Marathon tick: high-stakes extraction loops, tight PvPvE firefights, or deep sci-fi shooter progression. No filler, no loose “shooter” tag-alongs.

Quick Comparison: Top 5 Picks

#GameTypePricePlatforms
1Escape from TarkovExtraction PvPvE$44.99PC
2ARC RaidersExtraction PvPvE$39.99PC, PS5, Xbox
3Destiny 2Looter ShooterFreePC, PS, Xbox
4Hunt: Showdown 1896Extraction PvPvE$39.99PC, PS, Xbox
5Off The GridExtraction PvPvEFreePC, PS5, Xbox

1. Escape from Tarkov

Why it’s similar

The genre’s hardcore benchmark, a brutal extraction shooter where every raid risks everything you carried in.

What makes it unique

Punishing realism, detailed ballistics, a limb-based health system, and an insured-gear economy make each firefight nerve-wracking.

Key features

  • Realistic ballistics
  • Limb-based health
  • Flea Market economy
  • Persistent raids

Price: $44.99 (Standard Edition) Platforms: PC

Where to Buy

Available on the official Escape from Tarkov website.

2. ARC Raiders

Why it’s similar

Modern sci-fi PvPvE extraction with squad play and scavenging, the closest tonal cousin to Marathon on this list.

What makes it unique

Hostile ARC machines add a constant PvE threat on top of rival squads, and topside runs feel cinematic and tense.

Key features

  • PvPvE extraction
  • Machine enemy threats
  • Squad-based runs
  • Cosmetic-only monetization

Price: $39.99 Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Where to Buy

Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.

3. Hunt: Showdown 1896

Why it’s similar

Extraction gameplay wrapped in tense PvPvE bounty hunts, where sound discipline and patience matter as much as aim.

What makes it unique

A 19th-century Louisiana bayou setting and permadeath bounty targets create slow, dread-filled standoffs.

Key features

  • PvPvE bounty hunts
  • Permadeath hunters
  • Sound-driven tension
  • Cross-play support

Price: $39.99 Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Where to Buy

Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.

4. Destiny 2

Why it’s similar

Same developer, Bungie, so the gunplay feel, ability design, and sci-fi polish are the closest DNA match on this list.

What makes it unique

A decade of raids, seasons, and loot depth makes it the benchmark for looter-shooter progression.

Key features

  • Bungie gunplay
  • Raids and dungeons
  • Deep loot system
  • Free-to-play base game

Price: Free to play Platforms: PC, PS, Xbox

Where to Buy

Free to play on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

5. The Finals

Why it’s similar

Built by Embark, ex-Battlefield developers, with fast team-focused FPS action and a distinctive feel Marathon fans appreciate.

What makes it unique

Fully destructible arenas let you reshape the map, and a game-show framing keeps every match frantic.

Key features

  • Destructible environments
  • Team-based modes
  • Fast time-to-kill gunplay
  • Free-to-play

Price: Free to play Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Where to Buy

Free to play on Steam.

6. Helldivers 2

Why it’s similar

Squad-based cooperative missions and intense firefights scratch the same teamwork itch, even without extraction stakes.

What makes it unique

A live “galactic war” meta ties every match to a shifting community front, and friendly fire keeps squads honest.

Key features

  • Co-op PvE missions
  • Galactic war meta
  • Stratagem call-ins
  • Friendly fire on

Price: $39.99 Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Where to Buy

Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.

7. Delta Force

Why it’s similar

Large-scale tactical combat and squad play with modern military gunplay, including a dedicated extraction mode.

What makes it unique

It blends big-team warfare with an extraction loop, offering two very different playstyles in one free package.

Key features

  • Large-scale battles
  • Extraction mode
  • Modern military gunplay
  • Free-to-play

Price: Free to play Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Where to Buy

Free to play on Steam.

8. Warframe

Why it’s similar

Fast sci-fi movement, cooperative missions, and deep loot progression give it the same “one more run” pull.

What makes it unique

Fluid parkour movement and hundreds of Warframes and weapons make it one of the most content-rich shooters around.

Key features

  • Parkour movement
  • Hundreds of Warframes
  • Co-op missions
  • Free-to-play

Price: Free to play Platforms: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch

Where to Buy

Free to play on Steam.

9. DMZ (Call of Duty: Warzone)

Why it’s similar

Extraction-style objectives and PvPvE encounters with the tactical looting loop Marathon fans will recognize.

What makes it unique

It layers extraction over Call of Duty’s polished gunplay and huge maps, all inside the free Warzone client.

Key features

  • Extraction objectives
  • Call of Duty gunplay
  • Squad looting
  • Free via Warzone

Price: Free to play Platforms: PC, PS, Xbox

Where to Buy

Free to play via Call of Duty: Warzone.

10. Gray Zone Warfare

Why it’s similar

An open-world tactical extraction shooter with realistic combat and survival systems for the milsim-leaning crowd.

What makes it unique

A large seamless map, AI factions, and grounded ballistics push realism further than most extraction shooters.

Key features

  • Open-world map
  • AI faction warfare
  • Realistic ballistics
  • Task-based progression

Price: $34.99 (Early Access) Platforms: PC

Where to Buy

Available on Steam.

11. Exoborne

Why it’s similar

PvPvE extraction in a dynamic environment, with weather hazards and vertical traversal that echo Marathon’s tension.

What makes it unique

An Exo-Rig gear system and dynamic weather, including tornadoes, reshape each run’s risk on the fly.

Key features

  • Exo-Rig gear system
  • Dynamic weather
  • Grappling traversal
  • PvPvE extraction

Price: To be confirmed Platforms: PC

Where to Buy

Available on Steam.

12. Deep Rock Galactic

Why it’s similar

Cooperative, objective-based missions built on team coordination and resource extraction, the PvE co-op side of the genre.

What makes it unique

Fully destructible caves, four distinct dwarf classes, and procedural mining missions make teamwork essential.

Key features

  • Destructible caves
  • Four dwarf classes
  • Procedural missions
  • Co-op PvE

Price: $29.99 Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox

Where to Buy

Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.

13. Risk of Rain 2

Why it’s similar

Cooperative, progression-based runs with high replayability and build variety deliver the same escalating-run tension.

What makes it unique

Difficulty scales with time, so every run becomes a race against an ever-growing enemy threat.

Key features

  • Time-based difficulty
  • Deep item stacking
  • Co-op runs
  • High replayability

Price: $24.99 Platforms: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch

Where to Buy

Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.

14. Off The Grid

Why it’s similar

A futuristic extraction shooter with cyberpunk styling and PvPvE gameplay built around a large sandbox island.

What makes it unique

A cyberpunk narrative from Neill Blomkamp’s team and a battle-royale-sized island set it apart visually.

Key features

  • Cyberpunk setting
  • Large sandbox island
  • PvPvE extraction
  • Free-to-play

Price: Free to play Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Where to Buy

Free to play on the Epic Games Store.

15. SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada

Why it’s similar

Mech-based PvPvE extraction with resource collection and survival, a distinct sci-fi take on the same loop.

What makes it unique

You pilot a CRADLECOFFIN mech alongside an AI partner called a Magus, blending extraction with anime-styled sci-fi.

Key features

  • Mech-based combat
  • AI Magus partner
  • PvPvE extraction
  • Resource harvesting

Price: $49.99 Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Where to Buy

Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.

Full Comparison Table

#GameTypePricePlatforms
1Escape from TarkovExtraction PvPvE$44.99PC
2ARC RaidersExtraction PvPvE$39.99PC, PS5, Xbox
3Destiny 2Looter ShooterFreePC, PS, Xbox
4Hunt: Showdown 1896Extraction PvPvE$39.99PC, PS, Xbox
5Off The GridExtraction PvPvEFreePC, PS5, Xbox
6The FinalsTeam FPSFreePC, PS5, Xbox
7Delta ForceTactical FPSFreePC, PS5, Xbox
8Gray Zone WarfareExtraction PvPvE$34.99PC
9ExoborneExtraction PvPvETBCPC
10SYNDUALITY Echo of AdaExtraction PvPvE$49.99PC, PS5, Xbox
11DMZ (Warzone)Extraction PvPvEFreePC, PS, Xbox
12WarframeCo-op LooterFreePC, PS, Xbox, Switch
13Helldivers 2Co-op PvE$39.99PC, PS5, Xbox
14Deep Rock GalacticCo-op PvE$29.99PC, PS, Xbox
15Risk of Rain 2Co-op Roguelike$24.99PC, PS, Xbox, Switch

Conclusion

Marathon fans have plenty of directions depending on what hooked them. Want the hardest, highest-stakes extraction? Escape from Tarkov and Gray Zone Warfare punish every mistake. Craving modern sci-fi extraction closest to Marathon’s vibe? ARC Raiders, Off The Grid, and SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada are the natural next stops.

Chasing that Bungie or Embark gunplay feel? Destiny 2 and The Finals deliver polished, free-to-play firefights. And if you would rather drop the PvP and just run with a squad, Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic, and Risk of Rain 2 turn cooperation into the whole point. Every game here earned its spot through real extraction, shooter, or co-op craft, not just a shared sci-fi coat of paint.