Marathon sales hit 1.2M copies, analyst says

Bungie's extraction shooter Marathon has sold an estimated 1.2 million copies across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC, according to analyst Rhyss Elliott of Alinea Analytics. The overwhelming majority of sales — nearly 70% — came from Steam, suggesting the title "hasn't exactly made the splash Sony and Bungie wanted," Elliott said in a report posted to X/Twitter.

What do the sales figures tell us?

According to Elliott's analysis, Steam accounted for approximately 800,000 copies, whilst PS5 took about 19% of sales and Xbox captured just over 11%. This distribution is unusual for what is technically a first-party Sony title, despite Marathon launching simultaneously across all platforms.

The analyst's estimates align closely with third-party tracking tools. SteamDB's owner estimate plugins suggest between 835,100 and 1.14 million Steam owners, whilst traditional Steam calculations based on review counts point to roughly 884,640 copies sold on the platform.

For comparison, Arc Raiders — Marathon's primary competitor in the extraction shooter space — has reached 12 million copies sold since its earlier launch. However, Arc Raiders has been available significantly longer and achieved different player engagement patterns.

Why Marathon struggled compared to Arc Raiders

Elliott identifies Marathon's user interface as a key barrier to wider adoption. "Players understand the Arc Raiders loop within 30 minutes, while Marathon's UI acts as a massive filter, chewing up newcomers and spitting them out before they can experience the depth of Bungie's signature gunplay," he explained.

The games' Server Slam events highlight this accessibility gap. Arc Raiders saw an 80% jump in copies sold during its three-day Server Slam, whilst Marathon managed a 49% increase in the four days following its event. This suggests Marathon's intentionally hostile and intense PvP experience may limit its broader appeal.

Marathon embraces what Elliott calls "cutthroat aggression" and leans into lose-it-all PvP mechanics. Arc Raiders, by contrast, helped grow the extraction genre by making it more welcoming with PvE story elements alongside competitive modes.

Player engagement remains strong despite lower sales

According to Elliott's data, Marathon peaked at 478,000 total daily active users on its first Saturday and has since settled into "a respectable rhythm" with 345,000 DAUs as of the report date. Weekend averages hover around 380,000 daily active users.

Steam players show particularly high engagement levels, averaging 27.8 hours of playtime compared to 16.5 hours on PS5 and 17.3 hours on Xbox. More tellingly, 22% of the Steam audience has surpassed 50 hours of gameplay, with nearly 7% logging over 100 hours already.

Current Steam player counts tell a different story than total sales. Marathon's peak reached 88,337 players 19 days ago, with recent 24-hour peaks around 44,371. Arc Raiders, meanwhile, peaked at 481,966 players four months ago and maintains 24-hour peaks of 125,795 players.

What this means for Bungie and Sony

The estimated 1.2 million sales figure comes with important caveats regarding profitability. Elliott notes these are unofficial figures that don't reflect additional monetisation from battle passes, premium skins, or account for platform fees. Neither Bungie nor Sony has disclosed internal sales targets or the game's development budget.

For Bungie's first non-Destiny release in over a decade — developed by hundreds of staff in the costly Bellevue area over four to five years — the numbers appear modest. This comes as Destiny 2 itself faces player retention challenges that Bungie previously described as game-threatening.

The platform distribution also raises questions about Sony's multiplatform strategy, given Steam's dominance over PlayStation 5 sales for this first-party title. The unusual split suggests PC audiences may be more receptive to Marathon's hardcore extraction shooter mechanics than console players.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many copies did Marathon sell?

According to analyst Rhyss Elliott of Alinea Analytics, Marathon sold an estimated 1.2 million copies across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC platforms combined.

Which platform did Marathon sell best on?

Nearly 70% of Marathon's estimated sales came from Steam (PC), with PlayStation 5 accounting for about 19% and Xbox taking just over 11% of total sales.

Why did Marathon not sell as well as expected?

Analyst Rhyss Elliott suggests Marathon's user interface acts as a 'massive filter' for newcomers, and the game's intentionally hostile PvP experience limits broader appeal compared to more accessible titles like Arc Raiders.

How does Marathon compare to Arc Raiders sales?

Arc Raiders has sold an estimated 12 million copies compared to Marathon's 1.2 million, though Arc Raiders has been available for a longer period and targets a broader audience.

What are Marathon's current player numbers?

Marathon averages 380,000 daily active users on weekends, with Steam players showing high engagement at 27.8 hours average playtime and 22% of players exceeding 50 hours.

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