Bungie to Reveal Marathon Gameplay in Upcoming Livestream

Bungie is set to unveil more details about its eagerly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, with a new gameplay livestream scheduled for Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your timezone). This event promises to give fans a deeper look into the game that has been shrouded in mystery since its reveal.

The excitement kicked off last week when Bungie released a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video, sparking an extensive alternative reality game (ARG) that engaged the community. Savvy players quickly deciphered the ASCII art, uncovering "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically a runner sprinting down a hall. The intrigue deepened 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 praised the 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, or 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, maintaining its themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." Set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, players will assume the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries designed to withstand the planet's harsh conditions. The game will have players exploring a lost colony in search of valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Since its initial announcement, updates have been sparse. A development video in October provided some insight into Marathon's mechanics, but the studio emphasized that the game was still in its early stages. The landscape of game development has also shifted, with Sony reevaluating its focus on live-service games following the cancellation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced that the company would launch only six out of the 12 planned live service games by March 2026, which included the cancellation of 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, and he subsequently filed 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.