Marathon Extends Free Week to 10 Days as Player Count Falls Over 50%
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 11
Marathon Extends Free Week to 10 Days as Player Count Falls Over 50%
1 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 11
Summary
Marathon ended a 10-day free week after launching Season 2, but player counts were still down more than 50% from the start of the promotion.
Season 2 added progression changes, low-risk free-kit modes and an unplanned PvE-style mode, with a larger PvE offering still in development to broaden the extraction shooter's appeal.
That push comes after Marathon underperformed at launch; its recent peak reached less than half its paid-launch high, and weekend activity fell instead of rising.
Bungie faces added pressure because Destiny 2 has received its final content update and live updates are ending, leaving Marathon as Sony's highest-profile in-house live-service bet.
Sony has continued to back Marathon despite taking hundreds of millions of dollars in Bungie impairment charges, making the game's recovery central to Bungie's near-term future.