Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 16
Marathon Falls Back to 12,753 Players After Season 2 and 10-Day Free Week
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 16

Marathon Falls Back to 12,753 Players After Season 2 and 10-Day Free Week

3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 16

Summary

  • 12,753 players was Marathon’s latest Steam peak, leaving the game roughly back at its pre-Season 2 baseline of 11,000-12,000 despite the season launch and extended free week.
  • 40,000 players showed up when Season 2 began, but the count slid each day—to about 18,000 by the end of the free period—showing little lasting retention or conversion from the $40 trial push.
  • Steam rankings also stayed weak: Marathon sat outside the top 100 sellers at No. 116 and at No. 157 in daily users, even after Bungie eased progression, adjusted matchmaking and added a more accessible PvE-leaning mode.
  • The weak rebound sharpens pressure on Bungie because Marathon is now its only active long-term support game, fueling layoff fears even as Sony has publicly backed it and the studio has outlined five seasons of content.

Insights

With Marathon failing and Destiny's support ending, is the legendary developer Bungie facing an existential crisis?
Is Marathon's costly failure a dire warning for the entire live-service video game industry?
After a $765 million write-down, how will Sony pivot its high-stakes live-service game strategy?