Bungie is set to unveil more details about its eagerly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, through an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your location). This event promises to give fans an in-depth look at the game, which has been shrouded in mystery since its reveal.
Last week, Bungie piqued the interest of the gaming community with a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video clip. This teaser immediately sparked a frenzy of speculation and investigation among fans, who embarked on an "extensive alternative reality game." Within the ASCII art of the video, eagle-eyed players spotted "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically identifying "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."
Another fan decoded a message that read: "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.""Thousands of community members across the world worked together to unlock the gameplay reveal date for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon," Bungie announced. 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) 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 assume the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to withstand the planet's harsh conditions. As they explore a lost colony on the surface, players will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.
Since its initial unveiling, updates have been sparse. However, a development update video in October shed light on Marathon's mechanics, although Bungie emphasized that the game was still in its early stages of development.
In the broader gaming landscape, Sony has been 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, indicating the cancellation of projects like The Last of Us multiplayer game.
Bungie has also faced its share of challenges. In July 2024, the company laid off 220 staff members—representing 17% of its workforce—less than a year after 100 other layoffs at Bungie. Additionally, just weeks later, it was revealed that former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired following an internal misconduct investigation at Bungie. Barrett subsequently sued 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.
