Marathon Sales Reach 1.2 Million Despite a Lukewarm Launch

Marathon, Bungie’s multiplayer extraction shooter and a first-party PlayStation Studios release, has sold an estimated 1.2M copies worldwide across Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox. It has generated roughly $55 million USD in revenue, according to Alinea Analytics data published March 24, 2026.

The majority of sales came from Steam with about 800K copies, compared with roughly 217K on PS5 and around 133K on Xbox.

That places nearly 70% of the audience on Steam, while PlayStation accounts for about 19% and Xbox slightly over 11%. The split is notable given Bungie’s status as a Sony studio, highlighting reliance on multiplatform releases.

Analysts called early performance disappointing despite strong engagement from retained players, partly attributing the slower uptake to onboarding friction.

Comparisons focused on competing extraction shooter Arc Raiders by Embark Studios, as both target the same extraction-shooter audience. However, Arc Raiders offered clearer objectives and a more approachable early experience, while Marathon’s complex UI and steeper learning curve slowed adoption.

Marathon Engagement Metrics Point to Strong Core Audience

Despite the moderate launch traction, retention data suggests Marathon is building a dedicated player base. The game peaked at approximately 478K daily active users (DAUs) shortly after launch and later settled around 345K, averaging roughly 380K across the weekend period.

Steam continues to lead engagement, with average playtime reaching 27.8 hours, compared with 16.5 hours on PS5 and 17.3 hours on Xbox.

Audience overlap further highlights reliance on Bungie’s existing fanbase. About 78.2% of Steam players reportedly also played Destiny 2, while a significant portion of Xbox players previously engaged with Halo titles.

Analysts also noted that 22% of Steam users exceeded 50 hours, reinforcing sustained engagement among core players.

The data suggests that while Marathon did not achieve immediate breakout success, strong retention and high playtime may support gradual growth. Analysts indicate that improvements to onboarding and continued content updates could determine whether the title expands beyond its niche audience.