Bungie to Reveal Marathon Gameplay in Upcoming Livestream

Bungie is set 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 released a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video that sparked an intense community effort to decipher its hidden messages. This video, part of an "extensive alternative reality game," contained ASCII art that included a snippet from the initial trailer, showing a runner sprinting down a hall. The community's sleuthing efforts were further fueled by another message: "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 global community's collaborative 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 Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland).

Marathon was first revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, embracing themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." Set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, players will assume the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries designed to endure the planet's harsh conditions. The game involves exploring a lost colony to scavenge valuable loot, including new weapons and gear. Since its initial reveal, updates have been sparse, with a development video in October providing some insight into the game's mechanics, though Bungie emphasized the project's early stage.

Amidst the anticipation for Marathon, the gaming industry has seen shifts, particularly with Sony reevaluating its focus on live-service games. Following the abrupt cancellation of the live-service shooter Concord, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced in November 2023 that the company would launch only six of the 12 planned live-service games by March 2026, signaling the cancellation of projects like The Last of Us multiplayer game.

Bungie itself has 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 another round of 100 layoffs. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was reportedly fired following an internal misconduct investigation, leading to a lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for over $200 million.

To catch the Marathon gameplay reveal live, tune in to the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.