Strong Steam performance follows the server slam preview, despite a reported engagement drop on day two.
After its open test server slam, Marathon is off to a great start. New numbers show that more than 250,000 people have already pre-ordered the first-person extraction game on Steam. At the recent trial event, players on PS5 and PC could try the game for free before it came out to more people on March 5.
A lot of people on all platforms were interested in this because it let players try out Bungie’s newest online experience. According to Alinea Analytics, Marathon had sold almost 250,000 copies on Steam as of the last time they checked.
This is what the company found when it looked at which games had the most wish lists and player involvement after Steam Next Fest.
On the wishlists, Windows, a pirate-themed PvE survival game, came in first. But Marathon was a close second, which shows that PC players are really interested. During the server slam, players could give Bungie useful feedback.
The company quickly responded to some of that feedback by removing bugs during the event. After the start, other problems that were found during the peak will be looked into and fixed. The hands-on test put a lot of stress on the computers and gave Bungie feedback in real time, which helped them make the game better before it went live.
There was a lot of talk about the interaction numbers from the server slam, even though the number of pre-orders was high. Players were said to have been much less active on the second day of the game and did not fully recover.
A lot of people come and go from early access events, but the drop in attendance has made some people wonder about how to keep people for a long time. There are still more than or close to 250,000 pre-orders for the game before it even comes out. This is a big deal for a new competitive rescue shooter.
Bungie just put up on the PlayStation Blog information about sales, as well as a plan for the material that will be added after the game comes out.
One very important fact is that all Marathon players will be able to get free improvements for each season. You won’t need to buy any extra DLC or expansions to get to the main yearly content. This makes Marathon feel like a live-service experience, and the way it’s set up changes with the seasons to keep it going.
Adding seasonal wipes is a very important part of that plan. Everyone will start each season with a new vault, which means that all of their items will be wiped clean. This is done to keep the game’s feeling of danger alive and to make sure that the gear players get is still useful after a certain amount of time.
Bungie wants to make moments of tension and chance that happen over and over again, where getting to the top takes new strategy and hard work. To do this, they put everyone back on a somewhat level playing field at the start of each season.
This way of thinking about design seems like it would work as it should. You may find that the resets keep the game interesting and hard if you know that loot is only brief and that each season is a new climb.
Knowing that your tools won’t last forever could make each successful extraction feel stronger and more important. You might also think that getting high-level loot is useless if it’s going to be wiped anyway. Resetting games at certain times of the year can be both fun for new players and annoying for people who like to take their time.
Bungie also told us what the first two seasons are called and when they will be out. In June 2026, the first season, titled “Death is the First Step,” will begin. The second season, called “Nightfall,” will begin in August 2026.
Each season will have new content, which is good news for all players: it will be free.
Bungie wants players to believe that Marathon will get organized, ongoing support in its first year by being clear about what it plans to do after the game comes out. Along with the release date, people will likely care less about the number of pre-orders and sample reviews and more about how well Marathon does in a live setting.
A lot of people already want this book, and early sales figures are high. There has also been a lot of talk in the community about how it will work with the seasons. We’re still not sure if the drop in activity during the server slam was a small change or a sign that something was wrong.
Marathon looks like it will be one of Bungie’s most-watched projects in years for now. The creators have made a big promise to wipe the game often, and over 250,000 people have already pre-ordered it on Steam. When the full game comes out, you’ll know for sure if the risk, the restart, and the race for loot make it worth it to play season after season.
