Bungie released its highly anticipated extraction shooter, Marathon, about a month ago. The game quickly earned a mostly positive reception from fans. However, the Marathon player count has already taken a massive hit.
Marathon Declines Steeply: Steam & PS5
The new extraction shooter hit an impressive all-time peak of 88,337 players on Steam right after launch. Today, just 30 days later, that number has dropped by 59%. Recent SteamDB data shows a 24-hour peak of 33,822 players. Meanwhile, active live player counts currently hover between 25,000 and 32,420. Consequently, thousands of early adopters have already abandoned the premium live-service title. This sharp decline gives Marathon a relatively slow start compared to rival extraction shooters on the market.
Steam data paints a clear picture, but console numbers remain a mystery. Unconfirmed reports suggest the extraction shooter is also underperforming on the PS5. Still, Marathon managed to chart as one of the top-selling new games on the PlayStation Store last month. In the US, heavy hitters like MLB The Show 26, Crimson Desert, Resident Evil Requiem, WWE 2K26, and NBA 2K26 ultimately outsold it.
Bungie’s Strategy for Survival
Releasing a premium live-service game is a massive gamble today. Regardless, Bungie remains fully committed to supporting Marathon for the long haul. The developer plans to roll out major updates and regular content drops. Ultimately, this steady stream of new content must engage the current community and win back lapsed players. By carving out a dedicated niche, Bungie hopes Marathon will avoid the catastrophic shutdowns that recently doomed other live-service games. Time will tell if these upcoming updates can reverse the downward trend.
