Six weeks after launch, Bungie's extraction shooter Marathon is discounted 20 percent to $32 on Xbox Series X/S for the first time, following analyst estimates pegging Xbox sales at just 10 percent of the game's 1.2 million total copies. The move highlights ongoing platform struggles despite steady updates.
The full $40 price remains on PlayStation 5 and Steam. Alinea Analytics' prior estimates detailed ~130,000 Xbox copies in the first month versus 800,000 on Steam and 217,000 on PS5, with Xbox reviews lagging far behind (1,000 ratings vs. 11,000 on PSN and 35,000 on Steam). Steam concurrent players continue declining, and Circana's Mat Piscatella observed Warframe surpassing Marathon in U.S. Steam weekly active users. Matchmaking queues have lengthened as new modes split the player base, prompting calls for a free weekend or free-to-play 'free kit' mode. Game director Joseph Ziegler previously noted, “We’re hoping that what we’re showing is exciting enough that someone is going to take the leap with us, but we are also committed to delivering on seasons past this that will continuously offer to evolve the game without an increase to the box price.” He added, “Everyone’s got their own definition of what is the right price.” This discount aligns with Bungie's post-launch efforts to boost Xbox adoption amid broader retention challenges documented in earlier reports.
