Bungie is set to unveil fresh details about its upcoming extraction shooter Marathon during a dedicated gameplay livestream this Saturday, April 12 (or April 13 depending on time zones).
Last week, the Destiny studio teased fans with a cryptic tweet containing a puzzling 15-second clip that immediately launched an extensive alternate reality puzzle hunt within the community.
Sharp-eyed players decoded ASCII art within the video, recognizing "a segment from the original trailer showing the runner sprinting through a corridor."
One investigator noted: "WHEN WILL HE RETURN ERROR ERROR HAS OCCURRED THE ENEMY RETURNED SYSTEM ALERT: PROTOCOL VIOLATION EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY ALL UNITS TO STATIONS EMERGENCY PROTOCOL 7 ACTIVATED DATA LOSS IMMINENT GOOD LUCK, COMMANDER."
"Thousands of community members worldwide collaborated to unlock the gameplay reveal date," Bungie stated, announcing the livestream would air at 10 am PDT / 1 pm EDT / 6 pm BST / 7 pm CEST / 9 pm GST (April 12), or for Asia-Pacific regions early April 13.
Originally revealed in May 2023, this reboot of Bungie's cult-classic franchise retains the series' signature blend of "mystery, atmospheric dread, and psychological tension." Set on Tau Ceti IV, players assume the role of Runners - cybernetically enhanced mercenaries built to survive the hostile planet while scavenging the ruins of a lost colony for advanced gear.
While an October 2023 development update provided glimpses of core mechanics, details have remained scarce as the title remains in early development.
The reveal comes amid industry shifts for parent company Sony, which recently confirmed it would only release half of its planned 12 live-service titles by 2026 - a decision that claimed The Last of Us multiplayer project and other unannounced games.
Bungie's own challenges include substantial 2024 workforce reductions (affecting 220 employees) and the controversial departure of former Marathon director Chris Barrett following internal investigations, which led to a $200 million lawsuit against both Bungie and Sony.
The action begins this Saturday on the official Marathon Twitch channel - prepare for the next evolution in extraction shooters.
