Bungie is gearing up to unveil more details about its highly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, through an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your global location). This event marks a significant milestone for fans eagerly awaiting further insights into the game.
The excitement began last week when Bungie teased the community with a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video that sparked an "extensive alternative reality game." Fans quickly dove into the mystery, discovering that the ASCII art in the video contained "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically showing "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."
Another intriguing message emerged: "WHEN WILL HE RETURN ERROR ERROR ERROR HAS OCCURRED THE ENEMY RETURNED SYSTEM WARNING: PROTOCOL BREACH EVACUATE THE BASE IMMEDIATELY ALL UNITS REPORT TO STATION INITIATE EMERGENCY PROTOCOL 7 DATA LOSS IMMINENT GOOD LUCK, COMMANDER."Bungie acknowledged the community's efforts, stating, "Thousands of community members across the world worked together to unlock the gameplay reveal date for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon." The livestream is set to commence at 10 am PDT (San Francisco) / 1 pm EDT (New York) / 6 pm BST (London) / 7 pm CEST (Berlin/Paris) / 9 pm GST (Dubai) on Saturday, April 12, or Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland).
Marathon was revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, embracing themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." The game is set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, where players will take on the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries designed to endure the planet's harsh conditions. As they explore the remnants of a lost colony, players will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.
Since its initial reveal, updates have been sparse. A development update video in October shed light on Marathon's mechanics, but emphasized the game's early stage of development. Meanwhile, the gaming industry has seen shifts, with Sony reevaluating its focus on live-service games following the abrupt cancellation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced the company was committed to launching just six of the 12 live service games it was working on by March 2026, signaling the cancellation of projects like The Last of Us multiplayer game.
Bungie has faced its own challenges, including significant layoffs. In July 2024, the company laid off 220 staff members—17% of its workforce—less than a year after 100 other layoffs at Bungie. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired after an internal misconduct investigation, leading to Barrett subsequently suing Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for more than $200 million.
To catch the Marathon gameplay reveal live, tune in to the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.
