Marathon Player Count is Down 59% From Its Peak

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Bungie’s new extraction shooter, Marathon, launched about a month ago and has generally been well-received. However, the number of players has decreased by 59% since its peak. While other games in this genre have seen faster growth, Bungie plans to continue supporting and improving Marathon over time.

While Marathon has generally been well-received by both players and critics, it demands a considerable time commitment to truly enjoy. The challenging gameplay and strong competition from other shooting games, especially those with extraction elements, likely contribute to the 59% decrease in players since its release.

Marathon Steam Player Count

At its most popular, the game Marathon had over 88,000 players on Steam, with around 36,000 playing at the same time on its peak day. Currently, about 25,000 people are playing, and that number is expected to increase. Many players who tried the game at launch have since stopped playing, and it remains to be seen if they’ll return.

Bungie is planning frequent updates for Marathon, adding new content regularly. This is important for games like Marathon because it keeps existing players interested and encourages those who stopped playing to come back. It remains to be seen if these updates will boost the player count, or if the recent decline will continue.

As a fan, it’s a little frustrating that we only have Steam numbers to go on when it comes to how Marathon is doing. We have no idea how it’s performing on consoles, which is a bummer! I’ve heard whispers that it didn’t exactly fly off the shelves on PS5, but surprisingly, it was one of the best-selling new games on the PlayStation Store in March. It didn’t beat out games like MLB The Show 26, Crimson Desert, Resident Evil Requiem, WWE 2K26, or NBA 2K26 in the US, but hey, at least it made the charts!

Charging players upfront for Marathon instead of making it free-to-play is a bold move for a game that relies on ongoing play. However, if it can attract and retain a dedicated community, Marathon could find its place in the crowded multiplayer market. Bungie’s commitment to the game is encouraging, and could help it avoid the fate of many other online games that have shut down recently. While the player base has decreased by 59% since launch, Marathon still has a solid number of active players, and it will be fascinating to see how the game’s popularity changes over time.

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2026-04-04 20:35