Bungie Finally Ready to Show Us Marathon Gameplay, Confirms Livestream Date

Bungie, the renowned developer behind Destiny, is gearing up to unveil more details about their highly 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).

The excitement kicked off last week when Bungie released a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video that quickly sent fans into a frenzy of sleuthing as part of an "extensive alternative reality game." Enthusiasts discovered that the ASCII art within the video contained "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically showing "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."

Bungie acknowledged the community's 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 will be broadcast 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 first 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 take on the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to endure the planet's harsh conditions. As they explore the remnants of a lost colony, players will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Since its initial reveal, updates have been sparse. A development update video in October shed light on Marathon's mechanics, but emphasized the game's early stage of development.

In the broader gaming landscape, Sony's strategy has shifted following the abrupt cancellation of the live-service shooter Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced the company's commitment to launching only six of the 12 planned live service games by March 2026, signaling the cancellation of projects like The Last of Us multiplayer game.

Bungie has faced its own challenges, including laying off 220 staff members—17% of its workforce—in July 2024, following 100 other layoffs less than a year prior. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired after an internal misconduct investigation, leading to Barrett subsequently suing 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.