Bungie’s recently concluded “Server Slam” event for its upcoming shooter, Marathon, revealed an unexpected issue: the game’s chat filter was briefly blocking mentions of a competitor, Arc Raiders. The testing period, held from February 26 to March 2, 2026, was designed to stress-test servers ahead of the game’s March 5th launch.
Players discovered that attempting to type “Arc Raiders” in the in-game chat resulted in the phrase being censored, as demonstrated in a Twitch clip. The issue persisted even with attempts to obfuscate the title, leading to speculation about the reason for the block.
Bungie quickly addressed the problem once it gained attention, and the filter has since been corrected, allowing players to freely discuss Embark Studios’ title. This incident highlights the challenges developers face in balancing chat moderation with preventing the inadvertent censorship of legitimate game titles.
The company has not yet provided an explanation for why “Arc Raiders” was initially flagged. Even as it’s possible the issue stemmed from a language-related problem within the game, some observers have suggested the possibility of intentional filtering of a competing product.
