Marathon Reportedly ‘Hasn’t Exactly Made the Splash’ Sony Wanted

Marathon has not had quite the impact that Sony and Bungie were hoping it would, one analyst has claimed. The lead-up to the extraction shooter’s March 2026 release was fraught with controversy, from an AI art scandal to reports of a nosedive in morale among developers, but the game managed to break through it all and launch to generally favorable reviews. While Marathon may have overcome a few hurdles up to this point, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.

Despite some doubts about whether it would ever see the light of day, Bungie’s latest title not only recovered from an indefinite delay, but got off to a solid start. As pre-orders went live, Marathon passed ARC Raiders on Steam’s Top Sellers chart, momentarily dethroning its biggest competition in the extraction shooter space. While ARC Raiders would eventually reclaim its spot above Marathon, it felt like a changing of the tides for Bungie, and early critic reviews offered another good sign. However, it would soon become clear that the game wasn’t out of the woods quite yet.

Analyst Says Marathon’s Learning Curve Hampered Its Sales

Rhys Elliott, Head of Market Analysis at Alinea Analytics, took to Twitter to report that Marathon has sold 1.2 million copies across all platforms and just 217,000 on PS5. According to the analyst, this is not “the splash Sony and Bungie wanted,” especially because the game has reportedly struggled to sell well on PS5 despite coming from a Sony-owned studio. While the game has not been out for long, it’s easy to see why just 1.2 million units sold may be disappointing for Sony, particularly because an earlier rumor claimed Bungie had sky-high expectations for Marathon’s sales, although those reports came before the game’s indefinite delay in June.

Image via Bungie

Elliott posits that the relatively low sales could stem from the game’s UI, which is more of an obstacle for new players compared to the likes of ARC Raiders. This is in line with some of the more common complaints that popped up when Marathon got review-bombed by PS5 players, as many of those users called the game too punishing for casual players. Elliott suggests that while people can get the hang of ARC Raiders fairly quickly, Marathon‘s confusing UI introduces a steep learning curve that can stop them from getting into the game and enjoying its positive aspects. Alinea data seems to back this up, as Marathon‘s daily active users have reportedly remained steady after an initial post-launch drop, suggesting those who’ve gotten used to the UI are still enjoying the shooter.

A steep learning curve and difficult UI may explain why Marathon has sold far better on Steam than PS5 or Xbox, too, as the console space has a reputation for being slightly more casual than the PC market. If this is true, then it’s possible Bungie could turn things around with some quality-of-life improvements. There is precedent to believe the studio could do that, too, as ARC Raiders Director Patrick Soderlund praised how Marathon responded to player feedback after its infamous early backlash. Cleaning up the UI and adjusting difficulty may not be as heavy a lift as reviving Marathon from its earlier state was, so Bungie may have a chance to change the narrative around the game.

Image via Bungie

Bungie has already introduced some major changes to Marathon‘s content schedule to make things easier to manage for players. The studio has also encouraged users to offer more feedback, so if Elliott is correct about what needs to change for the game to become a long-term success, things could be looking up. It won’t become clear exactly how Marathon lives up to expectations until further down the road, but for now, it may not be what Sony wants, but it hasn’t hit a wall, either.

Released

March 5, 2026

ESRB

Teen / Animated Blood, Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op