Bungie Reveals Marathon Gameplay in Upcoming Livestream

Bungie, the renowned developer behind Destiny, is gearing up to unveil more of 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 location). This event marks a significant milestone for fans eagerly awaiting more details on the game.

The buzz around Marathon intensified last week when Bungie posted a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video that sparked an "extensive alternative reality game," setting fans on a thrilling sleuthing adventure. Within the ASCII art of the video, players discovered "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically identifying "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer." Adding to the mystery, another clue surfaced 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 global community's collaborative efforts, noting that "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 set to start 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 Saturday, April 12, or Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland).

Originally unveiled in May 2023, Marathon is a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, embracing themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." Set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, players will take on the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries designed to endure the planet's challenging conditions. Their mission involves exploring a lost colony to scavenge valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Since its initial reveal, updates have been sparse. However, a development update video in October provided insights into Marathon's mechanics, though Bungie emphasized the game's early stage of development. Amidst this, Sony's strategic shift away from live-service games, following the cancellation of titles like Concord and The Last of Us multiplayer game, has also affected Marathon. Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced in November 2023 that the company would focus on launching only six of the 12 live-service games planned by March 2026.

Bungie has faced its own share of challenges. In July 2024, the company laid off 220 staff members—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 reveal live, tune into the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12. Don't miss out on this exciting glimpse into Bungie's latest venture.