Pre-orders for Bungie’s Marathon are now available across all platforms. Despite initial mixed reactions a few months prior, the game appears to be gaining momentum. Within hours of its release date announcement, Marathon secured a spot on Steam’s top 10 bestsellers list in the US.
Marathon’s Strong Performance on Steam
Steam maintains a top sellers page that monitors the 100 best-selling titles at any given time. Following the launch of its pre-orders, Marathon quickly climbed to number 6 on this list in both the US and UK regions.
Globally, the game currently ranks at number 12, with potential to enter the top 10. This favorable response to pre-orders is the result of several factors.
One significant factor is its $40 price point, distinguishing it from full-priced $70 AAA titles. Similar to games like Helldivers 2 and Arc Raiders, a more accessible price can make players more inclined to purchase, as it often influences expectations about monetization. Bungie’s decision to price a live-service title at $40 suggests confidence in delivering an experience that may not rely solely on a free-to-play model.
Recent videos and blog posts from Bungie indicate that Marathon has received substantial revisions to its gameplay and core systems. A significant portion of these changes stems from feedback provided by players who participated in closed playtests, which is generally a positive indicator.
Bungie’s responsiveness to feedback gathered during initial playtests, alongside overall player reception, appears to have guided their decisions leading up to the launch of pre-orders.
While Marathon may not replicate the success of Arc Raiders, it still has the potential to become another successful title for Bungie. These early pre-order figures are likely a positive sign for the development team.
Many observers initially anticipated a situation similar to Concord, but these early pre-order rankings suggest a potentially promising future for Marathon.
