Marathon One analyst claimed that it didn't have the impact that Sony and Bungie had hoped it would. The build-up to the March 2026 release of the extraction shooter has been fraught with controversy, from an AI art scandal to reports of a moral leap among developers, but the game has managed to break through to generally favorable reviews. While Marathon they may have overcome a few obstacles up to this point, it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing.
Despite some doubts that it will ever see the light of day, Bungie's latest title has not only recovered from its indefinite delay, it's off to a solid start. When pre-orders went live, Marathon he passed ARC Raiders on the Steam bestseller list, for a while it dethroned its biggest competitor in the space of extraction shooters. While ARC Raiders would eventually regain his place at the top Marathon, It's been a turning of the tide for Bungie, and early reviews from critics offered another good sign. However, it soon became clear that the game was not completely out.
Marathon gets off to a positive start but can't dethrone ARC Raiders
Destiny and Halo developer Bungie launches its new extraction shooter Marathon to positive reviews, but it fails to dethrone ARC Raiders.
The analyst says Marathon's learning curve has hampered its sales
Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, made the announcement on Twitter Marathon sold 1.2 million copies across all platforms and just 217,000 on PS5. According to the analyst, it's not “the flash that Sony and Bungie wanted”, especially since the game is reportedly not selling well on the PS5 despite coming from a Sony-owned studio. While the game hasn't been out for long, it's easy to see why just 1.2 million units sold might be disappointing for Sony, especially since an earlier rumor claimed that Bungie had sky-high expectations for it. Marathon'with the sale, though the news came before the game's indefinite delay in June.
Elliott speculates that the relatively low sales could stem from the game's user interface, which is more of a barrier to new players compared to similar players. ARC Raiders. This is in line with some of the more common complaints that have ever surfaced Marathon The review was bombarded by PS5 players, as many of those users called the game too punishing for casual players. Elliott suggests that while people can figure it out ARC Raiders fairly quickly MarathonThe confusing user interface introduces a steep learning curve that can prevent them from getting into the game and enjoying its positive aspects. Alinea's data seems to support this MarathonDaily active users have reportedly remained steady after an initial drop after launch, suggesting that those who have gotten used to the user interface are still enjoying the shooter.
The steep learning curve and difficult user interface may explain why Marathon also sold much better on Steam than the PS5 or Xbox, as the console space has a reputation for being a bit more casual than the PC market. If this is true, then it's possible that Bungie could turn things around with some quality of life improvements. There is precedent to believe that the studio might do this as well ARC Raiders Director Patrick Soderlund praised how Marathon responded to player feedback after his infamous early backlash. Cleaning up the UI and setting the difficulty doesn't have to be as hard as reviving Marathon from the previous state it was, so Bungie may have a chance to change the story around the game.
Bungie has already implemented several major changes MarathonA content plan to make it easier for players to manage things. The studio also encouraged users to offer more feedback, so if Elliott is right about what needs to be changed to make the game a long-term success, things could be fine. Exactly how will not be clear Marathon It lives up to expectations until the next phase, but for now it may not be what Sony wants, but it hasn't hit a wall either.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Animated blood, language, violence, in-game purchases, user interaction
- Multiplayer
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Online multiplayer, online co-op
