Marathon has faced harsh criticism since its announcement — from its artistic direction to its mechanics. The developers even postponed the release and reworked the project after testing. Now it is known: the game will be released on March 5, 2026.
Marathon has been changed, but the initial success on Steam may also be due to the price. It is reasonable for a project from an experienced studio and a fresh product, so many decided: "okay, it's worth a try at that price."
In the West, the price of $40 allowed Marathon to enter the list of Steam bestsellers — top 6 in the USA and top 10 globally.
The real test is yet to come. In the coming weeks, it will become clear what Bungie is really capable of, as testing for a wide audience will begin soon.
For comparison, Concord from PlayStation had a much weaker start and never reached such indicators.