Summary
- A new rumor suggests that Marathon will need to be in the top five most-sold games of 2025 to be considered a success.
- It's unclear whether Sony or Bungie set this internal sales goal.
- Bungie recently confirmed that stolen art had been used in Marathon, with the company promising to remove all traces of this going forward.
A new rumor shared by an industry analyst indicates that Marathon will only be considered a success if it appears as one of the top five games of the year. Considering its recent controversy and the fact that Marathon has had a lukewarm reception at best, this could spell trouble for the upcoming extraction shooter.
Originally announced in 2023, Marathon recently started its closed alpha testing phase, and opinions about the upcoming shooter have divided its audience. While some people seem enthusiastic about Marathon’s art style and gunplay, others have criticized the game for lacking content and not being free-to-play. According to Bungie, Marathon will be a premium title at an undisclosed price, which is rumored to be around $40.
Helldivers 2 and Bungie's Marathon Could Be Two Peas in a Pod
Marathon is set to bring gamers a unique extraction shooter, and it could prove to be a good option for fans of Helldivers 2.
Now, game industry insider Paul Tassi has reported on a rumor that Bungie and Sony have big expectations for Marathon. According to Tassi, either Sony or Bungie set an internal sales goal, implying that Marathon will only be considered a success if it appears in the top five most-sold games of 2025 on Circana’s list. While the insider clarified that he doesn’t believe Marathon will be a huge flop like Concord, he also seemed skeptical that the title could reach this huge goal, especially considering how lukewarm its reception has been.
Rumors Indicate That Marathon Will Struggle to Be Considered a Success
Marathon’s situation took another hit after the latest controversy surrounding the title. Independent artist Antireal accused Bungie of using her assets in Marathon without permission. Bungie responded to the accusations, acknowledging that Marathon used stolen art, and vowed to remove it from the game. The studio claimed that this happened due to the actions of an artist who no longer works at the studio, and that they used the stolen assets during pre-production.
Following the controversy, it was reported that morale was very low at Bungie, with some people claiming that “the vibes have never been worse.” Bungie promised to audit the assets of the whole game to make sure that no more plagiarized art is being used, but it’s still unknown how much time and effort this will take. It's also possible that the game will face a delay due to these efforts.
Marathon alpha players also want the game to be delayed to 2026, according to reports, as many feel that the title is still undercooked. Despite these complaints, Bungie still seems eager to release it in September 2025. In any case, it remains to be seen how popular Marathon will end up being when it finally releases, especially if the developers get more time to work on the product before its launch.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Extraction Shooter, FPS, Multiplayer
