Bungie to Reveal Marathon Gameplay in Upcoming Livestream

Bungie is gearing up to unveil more details about its highly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, with an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your global location).

The buzz began last week when Bungie, the renowned developer behind Destiny, posted an enigmatic tweet featuring a peculiar 15-second video. This cryptic clip instantly triggered a wave of fan detective work, turning into an "extensive alternative reality game." Enthusiasts discovered that the ASCII art concealed "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically showing "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."

Bungie acknowledged the global 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 set to commence 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 revealed in May 2023 as 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 assume the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to endure the planet's challenging conditions. As they explore the remnants of a lost colony, players will seek out valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Despite the initial reveal, updates have been sparse. A development update video in October provided insight into Marathon's mechanics, although Bungie emphasized the project's early stage.

In the broader gaming landscape, Sony has been reevaluating its approach to live-service games following the sudden cancellation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced the company's commitment to launching just six of the 12 live service games it had in development by March 2026, signaling 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—17% of its workforce—less than a year after 100 other layoffs at Bungie. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired following 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 in to the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.