Marathon players see different colored lobsters and Bungie won’t explain why
Players exploring Marathon’s Dire Marsh map have discovered a curious cosmetic mystery: lobsters scattered throughout the area appear as different colors depending on which Runner Shell (character variant) a player is using. The phenomenon appears to be an intentional design choice, yet Bungie developers have declined to explain its purpose or meaning.
When questioned about the colored lobsters during interviews regarding Marathon’s design philosophy and alternate reality game (ARG) elements, principal marketing manager Nick Clifford gave a notably evasive response, suggesting even the developers found the mystery intriguing. His non-answer—“That one’s all you”—implies the enigma may be part of a larger puzzle meant for players to unravel independently.
This discovery adds intrigue to Marathon’s existing mysteries, which include the unexplained disappearance of 50,000 human colonists and encounters with powerful alien entities such as the S’pht Compiler. The colored lobsters could represent another intentional puzzle element woven into the game’s design or its ARG components.
Bungie’s refusal to explain the phenomenon suggests the lobsters are likely deliberate rather than a bug, potentially serving as clues within Marathon’s larger mystery framework. Whether purely cosmetic or connected to deeper narrative elements remains unclear, but the developer’s cryptic response indicates players should treat them as intentional design rather than oversight.