Bungie is set to unveil more details about its much-anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, through an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your time zone). This event follows a mysterious tweet from the Destiny developer last week, which included a cryptic 15-second video that sparked a global community effort to uncover hidden clues.
The tweet featured ASCII art that contained "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," with keen-eyed fans noticing "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer." Further intrigue was added with another message stating: "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 scheduled for 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, and at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 am NZST (Auckland) on Sunday, April 13.
Marathon was first revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, emphasizing themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." The game is set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, where players take on the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to withstand the planet's challenging conditions. As they explore the remnants of a lost colony, players will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.
Since its initial announcement, details have been sparse, with only a development update in October shedding light on Marathon's mechanics. However, the game is still in its early stages of development.
In the broader gaming industry, Sony's recent strategic shifts have impacted Bungie. Following the abrupt cancellation of the live-service shooter Concord, Sony President Hiroki Totoki announced in November 2023 that the company would focus on launching only six out of the twelve planned live-service games by March 2026. This decision also led to the cancellation of 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, which amounted to 17% of its workforce, less than a year after 100 other layoffs. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was reportedly fired following an internal misconduct investigation, and he subsequently sued Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for over $200 million.
To catch the Marathon gameplay reveal live, tune into the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.
