Bungie Reveals Marathon Gameplay, Sets Livestream Date

Bungie is gearing up to unveil more details about its eagerly awaited 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 promises to give fans a deeper look into the game's mechanics and setting.

Last week, Bungie sparked intrigue with a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video, which quickly ignited a global sleuthing effort among fans as part of an "extensive alternative reality game." Within the ASCII art of the video, players discovered "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically noting "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."

Bungie praised the community's collaborative effort, 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 go live 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, and at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 am NZST (Auckland) on Sunday, April 13.

Marathon was revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, emphasizing themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." The game is set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, where players will control Runners, cybernetic mercenaries adapted to the planet’s harsh conditions. As players explore the remnants of a lost colony, they will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Since its initial reveal, updates on Marathon have been sparse. An October development update video shed light on Marathon's mechanics, though the studio emphasized that the game was still in the early stages of development.

Amidst these developments, Sony has been reevaluating its live-service game strategy. Following the abrupt cancellation of the live-service shooter Concord, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced in November 2023 that the company was committed to launching just six of the 12 live service games it was working on by March 2026. This shift also led to the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.

Bungie has faced its own challenges, including significant layoffs. 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, and Barrett subsequently sued Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for more than $200 million.

To catch the Marathon gameplay reveal live, tune in to the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.