Despite the intense negativity surrounding its release, Marathon proved to be a surprising heavyweight in the US market. According to market performance analyst firm Circina, the game was the fourth best-selling title by revenue during its March launch and currently stands as the sixth best-selling game so far this year.

This achievement is particularly impressive considering the game's price point. Unlike full-price $60 titles, Marathon launched at just $40, yet it still managed to generate significant revenue despite the constant doom-watching on Steam Charts.

How Marathon Outperformed Major Franchises

On the surface, the revenue numbers show that Marathon beat out several high-profile titles, including Pokémon Pokopia, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and Crimson Desert. The top of the leaderboard for March featured:

  • MLB: The Show 26 (1st Place)
  • Resident Evil: Requiem (2nd Place)
  • WWE 2K26 (3rd Place)

The Catch: Missing Data and Digital Sales

However, there is a significant catch to these rankings. Circina has noted that they do not receive digital sales numbers from Nintendo, meaning the ranking for Pokémon Pokopia could potentially be much higher, likely placing it in the top three.

The data for Crimson Desert is also subject to debate. While it sat at 15th place in this specific dataset, the developer has revealed that the game sold over five million copies in its first month alone. Senior analyst Mat Piscatella added that Crimson Desert, MLB The Show 26, and Pokémon Pokopia were all leading his initial projections.

High Development Costs and Declining Player Counts

Despite a strong launch with an estimated 1.2 million sales, the long-term financial outlook for Marathon remains a concern. Reports suggest the game cost over $200 million to develop, following Sony's $3.6 billion acquisition of the studio.

Player retention on Steam has also seen a notable decline since launch. After hitting a release day peak of 88,000 concurrent players, the numbers have settled into a daily range of roughly 15,000 to 20,000. Moving forward, the success of this battle royale-esque experiment will depend on how Bungie supports and grows the player base.