Bungie is set to unveil more details about its highly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, through an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12, or Sunday, April 13, depending on your location. The excitement around the game intensified last week when Bungie posted a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video that sparked a massive community effort to solve an "extensive alternative reality game."

Eager fans 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." Another intriguing message surfaced: "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." This collaborative effort by thousands of community members worldwide ultimately unlocked the date for the gameplay reveal.

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) on Saturday, April 12, and Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland). Marathon, first revealed in May 2023, is a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise that promises to delve into themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." Set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, players will embody Runners, cybernetic mercenaries designed to withstand the planet's harsh conditions. As they explore the remnants of a lost colony, players will scavenge for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Since its initial reveal, updates on Marathon have been sparse, with a development update video in October providing some insight into the game's mechanics but emphasizing its early stage of development. The gaming industry has also seen significant shifts, particularly with Sony reevaluating its focus on live-service games following the abrupt cancelation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced the company's commitment to launch only six out of the 12 planned live-service games by March 2026, a decision that led to the cancelation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.

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