Bungie will begin testing duo lobbies in Marathon on March 18, game director Joe Ziegler confirmed on X. The test runs for roughly two weeks, though Ziegler noted it could end early or be extended based on what the team learns.
Limited Scope, Specific Rules
The test is deliberately narrow. Duo lobbies will only be available on the Perimeter map, and players will only be matched against other two-person squads.
Both players must already be in the same lobby before queuing. Solo players can't enter the mode, and players can't join a duos lobby hoping to get matched with a partner. Ziegler also warned upfront that "some things will be a bit jank."
- Available on Perimeter map only
- Both players must be pre-formed in the same lobby before queuing
- Duos are matched against other duo squads exclusively
- Solo queue and mid-lobby matchmaking are not available in this mode
Why Bungie Is Running It as an Experiment
Ziegler was direct about the test's limitations. "This likely won't be the final implementation of how it would look and flow in the game," he wrote, describing it as a first step to gather data before investing more development time into the feature.
"We're hoping to expand duos as a queue in the future and we wanted to take this first step sooner than later so we could understand how it affects our game better," Ziegler added. He also confirmed this won't be the last experiment Bungie runs during Marathon's current phase.
More Moving Parts Than It Looks
Supporting a stable duo mode involves more than just filtering matchmaking by squad size. Bungie needs to evaluate how two-player squads affect Runner Shell ability balance, weapon balance, and UESC enemy balance across all the interconnected systems that currently account for solos and trios.
Bungie wants real data on all of that before committing more development time to the feature.
Part of a Broader Pattern
Bungie has been fast to act on feedback since Marathon's launch. The studio has pushed patches on major issues and communicated publicly about upcoming fixes, directly citing player concerns each time. Duo lobbies came up repeatedly during the Server Slam, and this test reflects the same approach: get something in players' hands quickly rather than wait for a polished version.
Timing for Cryo Archive
For players preparing for the Cryo Archive raid, which Bungie says is close, the duo test adds another option for getting reps in before it goes live. How long it sticks around comes down to what Bungie learns over the next two weeks.
