Bungie is gearing up to unveil more about its eagerly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, with an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your time zone). This event marks a significant milestone following a cryptic tweet from the Destiny developer last week, which featured a mysterious 15-second video sparking a worldwide sleuthing frenzy among fans as part of an "extensive alternative reality game."
Astute players quickly deciphered that the ASCII art in the video contained "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," showcasing the runner sprinting down a hallway. Another intriguing message surfaced: "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." This collaborative effort by thousands of community members globally led to the unveiling of the gameplay reveal date.
The livestream is set to air 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, and on Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland).
Marathon, first revealed in May 2023, is a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, infused with themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." Set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, players will embody Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to endure the planet's harsh conditions. The game involves exploring a lost colony, scavenging for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.
Since its initial announcement, details have been scarce. An October development update provided some insight into Marathon's mechanics, although Bungie emphasized the project's early stage of development.
Amidst these developments, Sony, Bungie's parent company, has shifted its focus on live-service games following the abrupt cancellation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced that 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, which amounted to 17% of its workforce, less than a year after another round of 100 layoffs. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired following an internal misconduct investigation, leading to a subsequent lawsuit against 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.
