Bungie is set to unveil more details about its highly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, during an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12, or Sunday, April 13, depending on your global location. This reveal comes on the heels of an enigmatic tweet last week, featuring a 15-second video that sparked an intense "alternative reality game" among fans, who eagerly dissected the clues.
The community quickly discovered that the ASCII art in the video contained a snippet from the initial trailer, showcasing a runner sprinting down a hall. Another cryptic message 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." This collaborative effort by thousands of fans worldwide unlocked the date for the gameplay reveal.
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, emphasizing 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 engineered to withstand the planet's harsh conditions. The game involves exploring a lost colony to scavenge valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.
Since its initial announcement, updates have been sparse. A development video in October provided insights into Marathon's mechanics, but emphasized the game's early stage of development. Meanwhile, Sony's strategic shift away from live-service games, following the cancellation of Concord, has seen the company commit to launching only six out of the planned 12 live-service games by March 2026, including the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.
Bungie has faced its own challenges, with significant layoffs affecting 220 staff members—17% of its workforce—in July 2024, following 100 layoffs less than a year prior. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired after an internal misconduct investigation, leading to Barrett's 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.
