Bungie has just tweeted a two-liner that is possibly creating a tsunami in the corridors of gaming: words that can say everything, yet nothing. Apparently, “Marathon will begin. Destiny will continue.” And that was quite enough to build a fever of speculation, hype, and a ton of keyboard thumping.
Let’s break it down first. Marathon? Of course, that was Bungie’s first person sci-fi shooter franchise back in the ’90s, the one capable of channelling the halo into its flow before a halo had even been thought of. It’s as dead as dodo for decades, but apparently, the thing is waking up now. And with that, there is Destiny, Bungie’s live-service behemoth-not thankfully going away.
By the way, the golden, abstract, futuristic emblem was equally attached to the tweet: no gameplay, no release window, merely vibes. Good old Bungie. But it was just that sort of thing that made lost completely fans’ minds.
Bungie’s actually going bigger now, and perhaps more than one of many projects have been going for some time regarding the alleged return of Marathon. Some leaks allegedly hinted at an extraction shooter built around PvP, a la Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown but with that lovely Bungie polish. If that’s the case? Oh man, the possibilities could be endless.
But yes, Destiny props up the other leg of the tweet for all the promises it holds for those Guardians worried about what Lightfall has to offer at both ends. Oh, no, Bungie is clear about this: Destiny is sticking for a little while longer, probably more expansions and seasons and who knows, maybe even a Destiny 3 someday.
Strange, the apparent lack of replies under the tweet. Usually, the expectation is that a Bungie announcement would be inundated with hype, memes, and the occasional bit of salt. But this? Not even a sound. Perhaps everybody was busy screaming into their pillows. Or perhaps Bungie were effective at locking responses. Either way, the silence is deafening as the tweet itself.
So, what happens next? More teases, probably proper revealing soon (Summer Game Fest? Playstation Showcase?) and that long agonizing wait till anything real is revealed. But one thing is clear: Bungie is after playing a long game, and they’ve got us right where they want us: hooked.
It is nostalgic and, perhaps, reflects how far Bungie has come and changed. Obviously, it is a great sign that Destiny has not gone away, which means Bungie is not completely turning away from what really made it a giant. Therefore, all is win-win, assuming they make the long jump to be the best.
Well, excuse me while I refresh Twitter every five seconds for the rest of the day, hoping to find even smaller scraps to tide me over. Because that’s what Bungie does-they feed us just enough to keep us hungry. And in all honesty? It does deliver.
