Marathon Matchmaking Explained: No Duos at Launch as Bungie Goes All-In on Trios
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Marathon Matchmaking Explained: No Duos at Launch as Bungie Goes All-In on Trios
TL;DR
- Marathon launches with only two default matchmaking options: Solos (via "No Fill") and Trios, with no dedicated Duos or Quads playlist available at the game's March 2026 release.
- Playing with exactly two friends is possible but not officially supported, meaning you either queue as a trio and hope no third player fills your slot, or play with an incomplete squad.
Marathon is one of the most anticipated games of 2026, and Bungie's extraction shooter has a lot riding on its March launch. The gameplay has generated genuine excitement, but one detail from the Server Slam playtest has caught the attention of players planning to jump in with a friend rather than a full squad: there is no Duos option at launch.
It sounds like a small thing. It is not, for a particular type of player.
What Matchmaking Options Marathon Actually Has
Marathon's matchmaking setup is straightforward but limited compared to what the broader extraction shooter genre has offered. The game has two active settings to choose from at launch.
Trios is the default and the backbone of how Marathon is designed to be played. Three-player squads are the intended unit of competition, and everything from map design to encounter balance has been built around that format.
Solos exists in a functional sense through a "No Fill" option. Selecting No Fill means Bungie's matchmaking system will not add any human teammates to your squad, leaving you to run the map alone. It operates as solo play without being explicitly labelled as a Solo queue, but the practical effect is the same. You go in alone.
What is missing is Duos. There is no two-player queue, which creates an awkward situation for pairs who want to play together. Your options as a duo are to queue as a trio and hope the third slot stays open without another player being added, or to play as an undersized trio knowing you will be at a numerical disadvantage against full squads. Neither option is clean, and neither is what most players who want to play with one friend actually want.
Quads are also absent, though that is less controversial since Marathon's design explicitly caps squads at three players. Four-player queues are a non-starter architecturally for the current version of the game.
More:3DMAX CEO Reveals Organisation Lost Close to Seven Figures in Fraud Committed by Former Partner
Marathon Matchmaking Explained: No Duos at Launch as Bungie Goes All-In on Trios
TL;DR
- Marathon launches with only two default matchmaking options: Solos (via "No Fill") and Trios, with no dedicated Duos or Quads playlist available at the game's March 2026 release.
- Playing with exactly two friends is possible but not officially supported, meaning you either queue as a trio and hope no third player fills your slot, or play with an incomplete squad.
Marathon is one of the most anticipated games of 2026, and Bungie's extraction shooter has a lot riding on its March launch. The gameplay has generated genuine excitement, but one detail from the Server Slam playtest has caught the attention of players planning to jump in with a friend rather than a full squad: there is no Duos option at launch.
It sounds like a small thing. It is not, for a particular type of player.
What Matchmaking Options Marathon Actually Has
Marathon's matchmaking setup is straightforward but limited compared to what the broader extraction shooter genre has offered. The game has two active settings to choose from at launch.
Trios is the default and the backbone of how Marathon is designed to be played. Three-player squads are the intended unit of competition, and everything from map design to encounter balance has been built around that format.
Solos exists in a functional sense through a "No Fill" option. Selecting No Fill means Bungie's matchmaking system will not add any human teammates to your squad, leaving you to run the map alone. It operates as solo play without being explicitly labelled as a Solo queue, but the practical effect is the same. You go in alone.
What is missing is Duos. There is no two-player queue, which creates an awkward situation for pairs who want to play together. Your options as a duo are to queue as a trio and hope the third slot stays open without another player being added, or to play as an undersized trio knowing you will be at a numerical disadvantage against full squads. Neither option is clean, and neither is what most players who want to play with one friend actually want.
Quads are also absent, though that is less controversial since Marathon's design explicitly caps squads at three players. Four-player queues are a non-starter architecturally for the current version of the game.
More:3DMAX CEO Reveals Organisation Lost Close to Seven Figures in Fraud Committed by Former Partner
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