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 April 13, depending on your global location).
Last week, the creators of Destiny stirred the community with a cryptic tweet featuring a peculiar 15-second video, igniting a fan-driven investigation into what turned out to be an "extensive alternative reality game." Enthusiasts discovered hidden within the ASCII art a snippet from the initial trailer, showcasing a runner dashing through a hallway.
Another clue 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."Thanks to the collaborative efforts of thousands of fans worldwide, the gameplay reveal date for Bungie's Marathon was unlocked. The livestream is scheduled for this weekend at 10 am PDT (San Francisco) / 1 pm EDT (New York) / 6 pm BST (London) / 7 pm CEST (Berlin/Paris) / 9 pm GST (Dubai) or on Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland).
Marathon was first unveiled in May 2023 as a modern reboot of the iconic Bungie franchise, embracing themes of mystery, eeriness, and psychological tension. The game is set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, where players assume the roles of Runners—cybernetic mercenaries engineered to endure the planet's challenging conditions. As they navigate the ruins of a lost colony, players will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.
Following the initial announcement, updates have been scarce, though a development video in October provided insights into Marathon's mechanics, emphasizing the game's early stage of development.
Amidst these developments, Sony has reconsidered its approach to live-service games, especially after the abrupt cancellation of the live-service shooter Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced plans to launch only six out of the 12 live-service games in development by March 2026, signaling the cancellation of projects like The Last of Us multiplayer game.
Bungie has also faced its share of challenges. In July 2024, the studio laid off 220 employees—17% of its workforce—less than a year after another round of 100 layoffs. Shortly thereafter, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was reportedly terminated 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 into the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.
