Marathon has to succeed

Rainer Etzweiler

18/3/2026

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

Marathon is the most vital determiner of Sony’s live service strategy. So, where does the game stand? I’ll venture an assessment and chat with a genre expert along the way.

Will Marathon determine the future strategy or even the destiny of Sony’s PlayStation? This question might sound dramatic, and it is – at least in part.

Objectively speaking, the Japanese company is doing well – especially in the gaming sector. The PS5 has sold over 90 million units and is comfortably on course to reach its target of 100 million units. The PlayStation ecosystem has around 130 million active users across all platforms, and the gaming division remains the most important revenue driver in Sony’s entire empire.

So the foundations are in place. However, a number of cracks have formed in this foundation over the last two years. The negative headlines come as regularly and reliably as GTA 6 postponements.

The reasons for this are multifaceted, and I’ve examined most of them in detail here and here.

But if I had to break the problem down to a single point – the greatest hurdle to overcome, so to speak – then I’d go with Sony’s aggressive live service offensive.

Its most important partner – or player, to stick with my metaphor – is Bungie. Sony bought the Destiny developer for 3.6 billion US dollars in 2022, a daring bet.

If Sony doesn’t come out on top, the PlayStation group will be faced with a very expensive shambles.

What are Marathon’s chances?

Bungie’s first new IP in twelve years is struggling. Its announcement in May 2023 was received positively by the majority of the general public. The Destiny community appeared far less receptive.

To them, Marathon is the reason why «their» game was neglected for a while. And anyway, why not just follow up with Destiny 3? After all, that’s what the fans want, and Sony could score a much-needed win.

The timing was unfortunate for another reason: to many gamers, the live service model triggers a defence reflex. This led to the spectacular failure of Concord in 2024, and is probably also partly responsible for the current drama surrounding Byegua…, uh, Highguard. Another online shooter, shut down after just 45 days.

Additional collateral damage recently came from the closure of Bluepoint Studios. This cult developer behind the remakes of Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls was recently shut down by Sony. According to insider reports, their latest project – a live service spin-off of God of War – didn’t meet quality expectations.

Due to these latest developments, many long-established PlayStation fans fear that single-player games will be relegated to the bench in favour of online titles. Marathon makes a wonderful target for this.

But the battle isn’t yet lost.

Not a sprint, but a Marathon

As much as cynics would like to bury the game, Marathon’s being made by an experienced, highly competent studio. Bungie can produce multiplayer hits. The American developers know that online games take time, that gameplay will constantly be honed and developed in the months after release and that communities aren’t created overnight.

If you follow the discourse on Reddit, you can see that Marathon’s definitely on the right track. Various opinion pieces in the gaming media confirm this.

For Bungie’s business daddy, on the other hand, everything’s at stake. Marathon has to succeed Bungie’s shooter is the most important title in Sony’s live service lineup. If it fails, the entire online strategy will deflate into a billion-dollar farce. Such a loss of face would shake the listed corporation to its foundations.

What do the numbers say?

Sony hasn’t yet communicated any official sales or player numbers. Luckily, SteamDB provides an insight. The analysis platform provides reliable information on current engagement – but only for PCs. It’s an incomplete picture, but not completely worthless. At time of writing, there are around 60,000 players per day on the servers.

This currently puts Marathon in fourth place among extraction shooters. Not a disaster, but for a game that’s supposed to justify Sony’s online future, it’s about as reassuring as saying «It'll be fine» before your surgeon starts open-heart surgery.

But before I get too lost in speculation, I asked someone who knows more than I do. David Jakob works at Zurich gaming agency MYI, and he has a clear opinion on Marathon.

Hi David, thanks for sharing your time. Would you like to introduce yourself?

Sure. I’m Dave, and I work as an art director for MYI. We’re a specialist agency covering gaming, e-sports and nerd culture.

Marathon is a relevant issue for you too. How much time have you invested in the game?

Around 30 hours so far, and I’m sure there will be more this weekend (laughs).

It sounds like you like the shooter. What’s your verdict so far?

Very good. Marathon’s demanding, multilayered and very often merciless, but that’s also what makes it so appealing. As a sci-fi fan, I particularly like the worldbuilding. The story isn’t simply served up to you on a plate, you have to work it out piece by piece – awesome!

Does the gameplay keep up with the worldbuilding?

Absolutely. The gunplay feels great. You can see Bungie’s wealth of experience here. The risk/reward system also functions really well. Sure, it’s annoying when I lose my hard-earned loot, but at the same time it’s incredibly motivating when I can safely return my equipment on the next run.

Marathon challenges even seasoned pros like you and, as an extraction shooter, it’s more of a niche genre. How viable is this mix for a majority of gamers?

Good question. I’ve discussed this with my colleagues too, and we’re at a bit of a loss ourselves. On the one hand, it’s brave of Bungie to try something different, but I also don’t quite understand why they’re so deliberately avoiding mass appeal.

This can be seen in the community as well. Arc Raiders is celebrated for its forgiving vibe, Marathon’s a different story, isn’t it?

(laughs) Oh yes. You’ll be shot at as soon as you’re spotted. This naturally results in a completely different atmosphere. Everyone’s a little more stressed and tense. Outside of the game, however, people help each other – the community is by no means toxic.

Speaking of toxic: publisher Sony has recently had to face a lot of criticism for its live service strategy. Marathon was also caught in the crossfire – do you think this had an impact on its success?

It certainly doesn’t help. Last year, there was also an issue surrounding stolen assets (article in German), and many Destiny players criticised a lack of support. However, it’s hard to say how much of an impact this’ll have on commercial success.

With everything that’s happened recently – namely Concord, Highguard and the rather mediocre Steam figures – a question arises: what are Marathon’s chances of survival?

It’s a legitimate question these days. But I can’t imagine Bungie messing up Marathon either. I believe Marathon will secure a place for itself, at least in the medium term. The seasons that have already been announced sound promising, and the community is hungry for more. I’m definitely sticking with it.

Last question. If you had to rate the game following the Digitec/Galaxus five-star system, what would be your verdict?

Five out of five. The story’s absolutely awesome, same with the gunplay and the art style is the bomb. I haven’t had this much fun for a long time.

Brief relief

Marathon won’t go the way of Concord. Bungie’s extraction shooter has a five-digit number of players, a unique design, a huge amount of lore and fascinating, challenging gameplay. The game may well find its place and entertain fans for a long time to come.

Sony’s day of reckoning has moved into the future for the time being as a result. Mind you, «for the time being» is key here: with FairGame$ (an unspeakably stupid name) and Horizon Hunters Gathering (not much better either), the next candidates for this live service stress test are already ready.

For Sony, there’s only one thing to it: keep running. It’s a Marathon, not a sprint.

We’ve prepared a little surprise for all Marathon fans. Mind you, it’s not that little after all. You can win the Marathon Collector’s Edition worth 199 francs or euros. It includes:

• 1:6 scale Thief statue with LED lighting
• Silkworm minifigure
• Patch with embroidered design
• Six art postcards
• Awesome 3D effect packaging

Log in to your account and answer the following question:

Rainer Etzweiler

Freelance Editor

rainer@rockstar.ch

In the early 90s, my older brother gave me his NES with The Legend of Zelda on it. It was the start of an obsession that continues to this day.

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