Bungie to Unveil Marathon Gameplay in Upcoming Livestream

Bungie is set to unveil more details about its eagerly 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 step forward since the game's announcement, promising fans a deeper look into its mechanics and world.

The excitement kicked off last week when Bungie teased fans with a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video, sparking a global "alternative reality game" among the community. Within the video's ASCII art, eagle-eyed players spotted a snippet from the initial trailer, specifically a scene of a runner sprinting down a hall. Another intriguing message surfaced, hinting at an impending return and an urgent evacuation protocol: "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."

The collective effort of thousands of community members worldwide led to the unlocking of the gameplay reveal date. Bungie confirmed that the livestream will 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 April 12, and at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland) on April 13.

Marathon was first revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the iconic Bungie franchise, emphasizing themes of mystery, eeriness, and psychological creepiness. The game is set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, where players will assume the roles of Runners—cybernetic mercenaries engineered to withstand the planet's harsh conditions. As they explore a lost colony, players will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Since its initial reveal, updates have been scarce, with the most recent being a development video in October that provided insights into Marathon's mechanics. However, the studio emphasized that the game was still in its early stages of development.

In the broader gaming landscape, Sony has been reevaluating its focus on live-service games following the abrupt cancellation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced that the company would launch only six of the 12 planned live-service games by March 2026, indicating the cancellation of projects like the 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 allegedly 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 into the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.