Bungie Director Slams 'Extraction Shooter' Genre Name as 'Bad'
The term "extraction shooter" has exploded in popularity, becoming the go-to label for a new wave of high-stakes, player-versus-player-versus-environment (PvPvE) games. From indie hits to blockbuster announcements like Bungie's upcoming Marathon, the genre is capturing the attention of millions. However, a key figure who worked on Marathon believes the very name used to describe these games is deeply flawed.
Chris Sides, a former product manager at Bungie, recently expressed his strong dislike for the "extraction shooter" label. During his time developing Marathon, he actively pushed to find a better alternative, arguing that the current name fails to capture the essence of the gameplay experience and instead focuses on a single, often negative, outcome.
The Core Problem with the "Extraction Shooter" Label
According to Sides, the fundamental issue with the term is that it's the only major video game genre named after its end state, rather than its core gameplay loop. He points out that the name describes the final action a player takes—successfully leaving the map—or their failure to do so.
This is a stark contrast to how other genres are named. We call them "first-person shooters" because the primary action is shooting from a first-person perspective. We call them "role-playing games" because the central mechanic involves embodying a character and progressing their abilities. Sides argues that naming a genre "extraction shooter" is like calling a racing game a "finish line crosser" or a platformer a "flagpole toucher." It misses the entire point of the journey.
The name focuses on the final few seconds of a successful match, ignoring the minutes or even hours of tense exploration, strategic looting, intense combat, and careful planning that define the actual moment-to-moment experience. For Sides, this isn't just a matter of semantics; it's a misrepresentation of what makes these games compelling.
A Push for a New Identity at Bungie
This wasn't just a passing thought for the former Bungie developer. He revealed that while working on the highly anticipated revival of Marathon, he was "dying to create a new genre name." This sentiment suggests that Bungie itself may be looking to position Marathon as something more than just another entry in a poorly defined category.
A game's genre tag has a massive impact on its marketing, perception, and audience. By saddling a new title with the "extraction shooter" label, a developer risks having their game's unique qualities overlooked. Players might assume it's simply another clone of an existing title, when the developer may be aiming to innovate in significant ways. Sides' push for a new name was likely part of a larger strategy to help Marathon establish its own unique identity in a rapidly crowding market.
Where Do Genre Names Even Come From?
The debate over the "extraction shooter" name highlights a broader conversation about how video game genres are defined. Often, these labels aren't created in a marketing meeting but emerge organically from the community and press.
Consider some other popular genre names:
- Souls-like: A term born from the massive influence of Dark Souls, used to describe games with challenging combat, deliberate pacing, and specific save mechanics.
- Metroidvania: A portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania, describing games focused on non-linear exploration and ability-gated progression.
- Battle Royale: Named after the 2000 Japanese film, this term perfectly encapsulates the "last-player-standing" format.
Unlike these examples, "extraction shooter" feels more clinical and less evocative. It describes a single mechanic that, while crucial, is not the sum of the experience. The term gained traction largely due to the breakout success of Escape from Tarkov, which codified the high-stakes loop of entering a map, securing loot, and needing to extract to keep it. While accurate for that game, its application as a blanket term for an entire genre is what developers like Sides are now questioning.
The 'Helldivers 2' Conundrum
To further illustrate his point, Sides brought up the phenomenal success of Helldivers 2. The co-op shooter features a required extraction at the end of every mission. If you don't get to the Pelican transport in time, you fail. By a purely mechanical definition, it has all the hallmarks of an extraction-based game.
Yet, almost no one refers to Helldivers 2 as an "extraction shooter." It's almost universally called a "co-op third-person shooter." The community and critics have focused on its chaotic, cooperative combat and satirical tone as its defining features, not the final dash to the getaway ship. This serves as powerful evidence for Sides' argument: if one of the most popular games in the world uses an extraction mechanic but isn't defined by it, the term itself is weak and often misapplied.
The future of Marathon and the genre it belongs to remains an exciting mystery. While Bungie has yet to announce an alternative genre name, Sides' comments offer a fascinating glimpse into the strategic thinking behind a major AAA development. As more of these games are released, the conversation he has reignited will only become more important. Whether the industry settles on a new name or "extraction shooter" sticks, one thing is clear: the genre's identity is still very much up for debate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an extraction shooter?
An extraction shooter is a subgenre of shooter games where players enter a map to complete objectives and gather valuable loot. The primary goal is to survive and "extract" from the map at a designated point to keep the gear they've collected. Failing to extract, often by being eliminated by other players or AI enemies, typically results in the loss of that loot.
Who is Chris Sides?
Chris Sides is a video game developer who formerly worked as a product manager at Bungie on their upcoming title, Marathon. He is known for sharing his insights on game design and the industry.
Why does he dislike the term "extraction shooter"?
He believes the name is flawed because it describes the end state or failure condition of the game (extracting or not) rather than the core gameplay loop, which involves exploration, combat, and looting. He argues it's the only genre named this way, which misrepresents the overall experience.
What is Marathon?
Marathon is an upcoming sci-fi PvP extraction shooter being developed by Bungie, the studio behind the Destiny and original Halo series. It is a revival of Bungie's classic Mac-based trilogy from the 1990s, reimagined for a modern audience.