Marathon Steam Player Count Drops to Critical Low Amid Player Outflow

Marathon is losing players rapidly as its Steam concurrent player count has dropped to just above 3,300, prompting Bungie to prepare a shift from PvPvE to full cooperative PvE.

Despite ongoing investment from Sony and Bungie, the situation surrounding the extraction shooter is becoming increasingly difficult. PC player numbers are estimated to be nearly double those on consoles, and the overall player population now threatens the game’s continued existence.

Low player counts have also created matchmaking problems. The game is forced to pool nearly everyone searching for a match into the same lobbies. As a result, newcomers regularly encounter experienced players who dominate the servers.

This issue is especially painful for an extraction shooter, where a loss means forfeiting gathered gear. New players die quickly and fail to learn the mechanics in time, which prevents the game from retaining an audience.

Bungie plans to overhaul Marathon significantly in Season 3. Instead of focusing on PvPvE, the developers are preparing a full cooperative PvE mode featuring powerful bosses and large locations. This approach is intended to resolve matchmaking issues and unfair encounters with veteran players.