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Looking for games like Marathon? Pick Hunt: Showdown 1896 for bounty-driven PvP, Delta Force for a free-to-play entry point where extraction is one mode among several, ARC Raiders for a more cooperative, playful tone, or Escape from Tarkov for a harsher, more simulation-oriented grind. They share the extraction-shooter premise, but offer different settings and priorities—not interchangeable versions of Marathon.
Marathon launched on March 5, 2026, for Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. This guide is a preference-based shortlist, not a quality ranking or a report of hands-on testing.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction - Xbox One, Xbox Series X | $9.08 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dead Space Extraction | $33.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Dead Space Extraction (Renewed) | $44.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction (Xbox Series X) | $12.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Arc Raiders Extract to Speranza Print - 11x17 Inches Wall Art Poster | $25.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Which extraction shooter should you try?
Start with the kind of tension you want, rather than looking for a one-to-one substitute. Bungie describes Marathon as a sci-fi PvP extraction shooter set on Tau Ceti IV. The alternatives below shift the emphasis: toward tracking and bounty runs, a broader shooter package, cooperative play, or a more simulation-oriented commitment.
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| If you want… | Try… | Why it may fit | What changes from Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|
| PvP pressure, bounty hunting and a horror-western setting | Hunt: Showdown 1896 | Its Steam description centers on tracking monsters, taking bounties, surviving rival players and extracting with a team. PC Gamer describes it as especially PvP-focused. | The appeal is its bounty-and-PvP loop, not a sci-fi setting or a direct match for Marathon’s movement and presentation. |
| A free-to-play way to try extraction play | Delta Force | Steam lists the game as free to play and describes Operations as an operator-based extraction mode involving loot, bosses, rival squads and different exits. | Extraction is one mode in a larger shooter package; the listing also describes a separate large-scale Warfare mode. |
| A more cooperative, less solemn mood | ARC Raiders | PC Gamer frames it as a move toward cooperation, roleplay and survival-horror fantasy rather than treating extraction play too seriously. | This is an editorial characterization, not a guarantee that every match or player interaction will feel cooperative. |
| A harsher, more simulation-oriented progression commitment | Escape from Tarkov | PC Gamer characterizes it as milsim-like and grind-friendly, making it a useful contrast to Marathon’s sci-fi presentation. | This is a qualitative comparison, not a measured difficulty ranking. |
All four are listed among extraction-shooter games in Steam’s genre search. That shared label is a starting point, not proof that their moment-to-moment play, learning curve or community will feel the same. The most useful distinction is what you want the extraction loop to make you think about: hunting a bounty, sampling a mode, cooperating with others, or accepting a demanding progression grind.
Use the comparison axes separately. If you mostly want PvP pressure, the bounty contest in Hunt is the clearest match in this shortlist. If avoiding an upfront purchase matters, Delta Force is the only option here explicitly listed as free to play, though its extraction play is contained in Operations rather than representing the whole game. If tone matters more than matching Marathon‘s PvP framing, PC Gamer’s description of ARC Raiders gives you a different direction to consider. If a more demanding, simulation-oriented commitment sounds appealing, PC Gamer’s description of Tarkov points toward that preference.
What Marathon is—and what has changed since launch
Marathon is not an upcoming release. Bungie announced a March 5, 2026 launch on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, then confirmed on launch day that the game was live. Bungie’s FAQ also describes its setting as Tau Ceti IV and its genre as a sci-fi PvP extraction shooter. An older FAQ line saying that no release date had been set is superseded by those later announcements.
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That matters when choosing what to play next: this is a comparison with a released game, not a list of warm-ups for a future launch. If you are looking for a parallel extraction experience, the choices here differ most clearly in setting, how PvP is framed, social tone, and the kind of commitment their descriptions suggest.
There are also two dated Marathon updates worth separating from permanent features. Bungie’s Season 2 announcement said an Open Play Week ran June 2–9, 2026, and that Season 2 gameplay content was available at no extra cost to existing owners. Those are historical details, not evidence of a current trial or a current offer. In a September 2026 development update, Bungie said the October 6 update would reset progression and the in-game economy, and described a permanent PvE experience as a future addition. That update described PvE as planned; it should not be treated as an already available mode based on that announcement alone.
For someone deciding what to play next, these details set expectations rather than changing the shortlist into a guide to current deals. The Open Play Week has passed, and the Season 2 no-extra-cost statement applied to existing owners. Likewise, Bungie’s September update described a future PvE experience, not a feature this comparison can assume is already playable. The reason to mention these dates is to distinguish what Bungie said about the game at launch and in later updates from what you might expect of an alternative today.
Hunt: Showdown 1896: choose the bounty hunt
Why it belongs on a Marathon shortlist
Hunt: Showdown 1896 is the clearest pick here if the part of extraction play you want is the contest around finding a target, securing a bounty and getting out while rival players are a threat. Crytek’s Steam description emphasizes tracking monsters, taking bounties, surviving PvP and extracting with a team. PC Gamer’s March 2026 comparison also describes Hunt as especially focused on PvP.
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- Intuitive controls scheme that allow you to strategically use the Wii Remote to dismember and freeze enemies, manipulate gravity with telekinesis, solve puzzles, and fight off attacks
That makes it a useful recommendation for someone who enjoys the pressure of a contested objective more than matching Marathon‘s science-fiction look. The setting and framing are a substantial change: Hunt is presented as horror-western, while Marathon takes place on Tau Ceti IV. Choose it for the bounty-and-rivalry premise, not because it is a close visual, genre-fiction or movement substitute.
The useful overlap is therefore about the kind of decision a run asks you to make: the target and bounty matter, but getting out means reckoning with rival players too. Crytek’s description includes both the hunt for monsters and the PvP threat; neither part should be edited out when explaining why the game belongs here. If what you want from an extraction shooter is an objective that can draw you into a confrontation, that description gives Hunt a clear reason to make the shortlist.
Who should choose it
- Choose Hunt if you want the extraction run to revolve around tracking and taking a bounty while rival players can disrupt the attempt.
- Consider another option if the main thing you want is Marathon‘s sci-fi setting or a direct match for its presentation.
- Its team-extraction framing may appeal if you want a squad context, but the available description does not establish that matches are reliably cooperative: the rival-PvP element is central to the comparison.
It is also the best fit here if “PvP-focused” is a positive rather than a warning. That is an editorial comparison attributed to PC Gamer, not a promise that every match will play out in a particular way. The Crytek/Steam description establishes tracking, bounties, rival PvP and team extraction; it does not make Hunt a direct match for Marathon‘s science-fiction setting or specify an equivalent movement style.
Delta Force: try extraction as one part of a larger shooter
What its Operations mode offers
Delta Force is the shortlist’s clearest free-to-play entry point: its Steam listing marks the game free to play and identifies Operations as its operator-based extraction-shooter mode. The listing describes that mode around loot, bosses, rival squads and varied exits. If you want to sample extraction play without choosing a game whose entire package is presented as extraction, this distinction is important.
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Steam also describes a separate, large-scale Warfare mode. In other words, calling Delta Force an extraction shooter is accurate for Operations, but incomplete as a description of the whole game. The broader package may suit someone who wants more than one kind of shooter mode; it may be a less focused choice if the only thing you want is an extraction-centered experience.
The distinction also helps you decide what to look for in the listing. Operations is the mode attached to the extraction description: it is where the listed elements—operators, loot, bosses, rival squads and different exits—belong. Warfare is separately described as large-scale, so it should not be used as evidence that every part of Delta Force has the same extraction structure. For a player coming from Marathon, the choice is not simply whether Delta Force has extraction play; the listing says it does. The question is whether a broader shooter package suits you when extraction is only one part of it.
Who should choose it
- Choose Delta Force if the free-to-play listing matters to you and you want an extraction mode within a broader shooter.
- Look specifically for Operations when deciding whether its extraction premise fits; do not mistake the Warfare mode for the extraction mode.
- Do not infer from the free-to-play label that every mode, item or piece of content has the same terms. The cited listing establishes the game’s free-to-play status, not a full breakdown of its current monetization or regional conditions.
“Free to play” answers a useful first question about entry, but not every question about cost. The Steam listing establishes the label; it does not provide a complete account here of optional purchases, the terms attached to individual content, or how availability may vary by region. Treat it as a reason to investigate Delta Force if you want a free-to-play entry point, not as a claim that all of its content or services have identical terms. No comparable current prices are established for the other games in this guide.
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- A deep and thrilling all-new story, new characters, new weapons, new enemies, and new puzzles
- Co-operative multiplayer gameplay that allows you to team up to fight off the invasion, combine efforts on engineering puzzles, and more
- Intuitive controls scheme that allow you to strategically use the Wii Remote to dismember and freeze enemies, manipulate gravity with telekinesis, solve puzzles, and fight off attacks
ARC Raiders: lean toward cooperation and roleplay
PC Gamer’s March 2026 comparison characterizes ARC Raiders as a shift toward cooperation, roleplay and survival-horror fantasy, with extraction play not taken too seriously. That is a useful tonal contrast if you are deciding whether you want another tense PvP-forward experience or a game whose framing invites a more social, imaginative approach.
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In practice, that makes ARC Raiders a tone-based recommendation rather than a checklist match. If you want an extraction game framed around cooperation and roleplay, PC Gamer’s characterization gives you a reason to look closer. If your deciding factor is a confirmed mode, a specific PvE structure, or a particular progression system, this comparison cannot supply those details. It is better to make the softer recommendation honestly than to turn a broad description into a promise about mechanics or player conduct.
Who should choose it
- Consider ARC Raiders if cooperation, roleplay and a survival-horror-fantasy tone sound more appealing than treating each run as a solemn contest.
- Do not choose it on the assumption that its players will always cooperate; the tonal comparison is not a promise about match behavior.
- If you are looking for a specifically verified feature such as a particular PvE structure, progression system or mode, the available information here does not establish it.
It also offers a useful counterpoint to interpreting every extraction shooter as the same sort of high-stakes PvP contest. That is a difference in the way PC Gamer frames its tone, not evidence that ARC Raiders removes risk or competition. Go into the comparison with the right expectation: you are choosing a different mood and emphasis, not a guaranteed cooperative session every time.
Escape from Tarkov: accept a more demanding, milsim-like commitment
PC Gamer characterizes Escape from Tarkov as milsim-like and grind-friendly. That makes it a relevant contrast for a Marathon player who wants a harsher, more simulation-oriented feel and is comfortable with progression being a substantial part of the commitment. Steam’s extraction-shooter search also lists it in the genre.
This comparison is deliberately qualitative. The cited characterization does not provide a measured difficulty score, a time-to-progression estimate or a controlled ranking against Marathon. “Milsim-like” and “grind-friendly” are useful signals about tone and commitment, not a promise that a particular player will find it harder, or that its systems map directly onto Bungie’s sci-fi shooter.
That distinction matters if you are trying to avoid buying into the wrong kind of challenge. The supported comparison is about a milsim-like feel and a progression-friendly grind, not about a numerical difficulty tier or a specific number of hours required. If a more simulation-oriented, progression-heavy direction is what you want, those qualities make Tarkov a sensible candidate to investigate. If you are searching for a setting, movement style or detailed system identical to Marathon, the information establishing this recommendation does not support that expectation.
Rank #4
Who should choose it
- Consider Tarkov if the simulation-oriented and progression-heavy direction is part of the appeal rather than a drawback.
- Choose another title if you want a clearly established free-to-play route in; the cited information establishes that status for Delta Force, not for Tarkov.
- Do not treat the comparison as an objective difficulty verdict. It is a way to identify a different style of commitment.
It is the option to consider when a “grind-friendly” comparison sounds like a benefit, rather than something you would rather avoid. That does not make it an objectively more difficult game than the others in this list; no measured ranking is established. It simply separates Tarkov‘s milsim-like, progression-oriented direction from the other preference matches in the guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to decide without looking for a clone
There is no evidence-based reason to treat one of these games as the universal “best” follow-up. They serve different preferences, and the available sources do not establish comparable prices, regional availability, player populations, difficulty measurements or session lengths for all four. Use the distinctions they do support:
- Want a bounty-centered PvP contest? Start with Hunt: Showdown 1896, whose description centers on tracking targets, rival players and extraction.
- Want a free-to-play way in? Look at Delta Force, and go into Operations for its extraction mode. Remember that the game also has a separate Warfare mode.
- Want a more cooperative or playful framing? Consider ARC Raiders, while treating that description as tone rather than a guarantee about other players.
- Want a more simulation-oriented grind? Consider Escape from Tarkov, understanding that the milsim and grind comparison is qualitative.
- Want Marathon’s exact setting or systems? None of these recommendations is established as a direct substitute for its sci-fi setting on Tau Ceti IV. Pick by the change you are willing to make, not by the assumption that the shared genre label means the games are alike in every other respect.
If you are still undecided, the most practical split is between what you want from a single run and what you want from the broader game. For a bounty-and-rivalry premise, choose Hunt; for a free-to-play package with extraction as one option, choose Delta Force; for a different social tone, consider ARC Raiders; for a more demanding simulation-oriented progression commitment, consider Tarkov. Those are preference matches, not quality rankings.
Before settling on one, ask yourself which trade-off you are willing to make. Hunt changes the setting and puts bounty hunting at the center of the pitch. Delta Force gives you a free-to-play listing but spreads its shooter offering across Operations and Warfare. ARC Raiders is the tone shift, with cooperation and roleplay in PC Gamer’s description but no promise that every encounter will be friendly. Tarkov is the commitment shift, with milsim-like and grind-friendly framing but no objective difficulty score to predict your experience.
There are some questions this comparison cannot answer responsibly. It does not establish current prices for all four games, region-by-region availability, player counts, current matchmaking conditions, or comparable session lengths. Nor does a genre listing on Steam prove that every title has identical mechanics. If one of those specifics is decisive for you, check the relevant storefront or current official game information before choosing. The shortlist can narrow your preference; it cannot substitute for details that vary over time or are not established here.
So, for “extraction games to play before” or after Marathon, start with your preferred kind of run rather than a search for a clone. Pick Hunt for a bounty-driven PvP premise, Delta Force for Operations inside a broader free-to-play package, ARC Raiders for a more cooperative and playful framing, or Tarkov for a simulation-oriented progression grind. Each is a different answer to the same preference question.
Frequently Asked Questions
What games are most like Marathon?
The closest fit depends on what you mean by “like.” Hunt: Showdown 1896 fits a preference for PvP pressure and bounty runs; Delta Force offers extraction in its Operations mode and is listed as free to play; ARC Raiders is framed around a more cooperative, playful tone; and Escape from Tarkov offers a more milsim-like, grind-friendly contrast. None is established as a direct substitute for Marathon‘s sci-fi setting.
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Is Marathon still upcoming?
Marathon launched on March 5, 2026, for Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Bungie confirmed on launch day that it was live, so older FAQ wording saying that no release date had been set is out of date.
Which game on this list is free to play?
Delta Force is marked free to play on Steam. Its extraction-shooter mode is Operations; the listing also describes a separate large-scale Warfare mode. The free-to-play label does not, by itself, establish the terms for every item, mode or regional offering.
Is Marathon’s PvE mode available?
Bungie’s September 2026 development update described a permanent PvE experience as a future addition. Based on that announcement, it should be treated as planned, not as an already available feature.
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Which extraction shooter should I try for PvP?
Consider Hunt: Showdown 1896 if you want a bounty-and-rivalry premise: Crytek’s Steam description mentions tracking monsters, taking bounties, surviving rival PvP and extracting with a team. PC Gamer also characterizes Hunt as especially PvP-focused. That is a preference fit, not a guarantee about every match.
Is ARC Raiders guaranteed to be cooperative?
No. PC Gamer’s comparison frames ARC Raiders around cooperation, roleplay and survival-horror fantasy, but that editorial characterization does not guarantee friendly behavior in every encounter or establish that PvP is absent.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: For bounty-driven PvP, try Hunt: Showdown 1896; for a free-to-play entry point with extraction in one mode, look at Delta Force‘s Operations; for a more cooperative and playful framing, consider ARC Raiders; and for a milsim-like, grind-friendly commitment, consider Escape from Tarkov. These are preference matches, not a ranking—and none is established as a direct sci-fi replacement for Marathon.
Quick Recap
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