Bungie Announces Livestream Date for Marathon Gameplay Reveal

Bungie is gearing up to reveal more about its upcoming PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, with a fresh gameplay livestream planned for Saturday, April 12 (or April 13 depending on where you’re tuning in from).

Just last week, the team behind Destiny sent fans into a frenzy with a cryptic tweet featuring a strange 15-second video. This teaser kicked off an intriguing “alternative reality game” that had fans eagerly sleuthing.

Within the ASCII art of the video, players astutely identified “a snippet from the initial trailer.” It didn’t take long for eyes to spot the familiar runner dashing down a hall—an element distinctly captured in the trailer.

One particularly engaged fan added to the mystery, saying, “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 commented on this global quest, stating, “Thousands of community members across the world worked together to unlock the gameplay reveal date for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon.” The company then confirmed the livestream’s timing, slated for 10 am PDT (San Francisco), 1 pm EDT (New York), 6 pm BST (London), 7 pm CEST (Berlin/Paris), 9 pm GST (Dubai), and Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo), 3 am AEST (Sydney), 5 pm NZST (Auckland).

Marathon, introduced back in May 2023, is reimagined from Bungie’s classic franchise, bringing forward its inherent “mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness.” The game immerses players on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, where they step into the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to withstand the planet’s unforgiving conditions. As they venture through the ruins of a lost colony, players hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

However, beyond that initial announcement, details have been scarce. Although there was a development update video shared in October, providing insights into Marathon’s mechanics, it was emphasized that the game is still in its early stages.

Since then, with the unexpected cancellation of the live-service shooter Concord, Sony is reassessing its strategy regarding live-service games. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki disclosed that only six out of the 12 live-service games in development would launch by March 2026. This decision led to shelving The Last of Us multiplayer project.

Bungie itself hasn’t been without drama. In July 2024, it cut 220 jobs—representing 17% of its workforce—following a round of 100 layoffs less than a year earlier. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was reportedly fired after a misconduct probe at Bungie and is now suing Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for over $200 million.

To catch the Marathon reveal in real-time, tune into the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.

Vikki Blake is a seasoned reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant with a deep love for gaming. When she’s not working, she’s a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and continually striving to master High Chaos. Connect with her on BlueSky.