Bungie is set to unveil more details about its highly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, through an exclusive gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your timezone). The excitement kicked off last week when Bungie teased fans with a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video, sparking a global sleuthing effort as part of an "extensive alternative reality game."

Astute players quickly noticed that the ASCII art in the video contained "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically showing "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer." Adding to the intrigue, another cryptic message read: "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 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 is scheduled for 10 am PDT (San Francisco) / 1 pm EDT (New York) / 6 pm BST (London) / 7 pm CEST (Berlin/Paris) / 9 pm GST (Dubai) or 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, emphasizing 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 announcement, updates on Marathon have been scarce, with a development update video in October shedding light on Marathon's mechanics, though Bungie emphasized the game's early development stage. Amidst this, Sony's strategy for live-service games has shifted, particularly following the cancellation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced the company's commitment to launching just six of the 12 planned live service games by March 2026, which included the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.

Bungie has also faced its share of 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, leading to Barrett's subsequent 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.