Bungie is set 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 marks a significant milestone since the game's initial announcement.

Last week, the Destiny developer piqued fans' curiosity with a cryptic tweet featuring a 15-second video that sparked an "extensive alternative reality game." Enthusiasts quickly deciphered the ASCII art, spotting "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," specifically identifying "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."

"Thousands of community members across the world worked together to unlock the gameplay reveal date for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon," Bungie stated, announcing the livestream timings as 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 revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, embracing themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." The game is set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, where players will assume the roles of Runners—cybernetic mercenaries engineered to withstand 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 the initial reveal, updates have been scarce. A development update video in October shed light on Marathon's mechanics, but the studio emphasized the game's early development stage.

Amidst these developments, Sony has reconsidered its strategy on live-service games following the abrupt cancellation of Concord. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced the company's commitment to launching just six of the 12 live service games it had in development by March 2026, signaling the cancellation of projects like The Last of Us multiplayer game.

Bungie has also faced its share of challenges. In July 2024, the company laid off 220 staff members—17% of its workforce—less than a year after 100 other layoffs. 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 into the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.