Starting on February 26, 2026, Bungie opened up servers before the official launch for their new game, Marathon. This early access was primarily to test servers and gain public attention for the release of the game, which was rather successful at first.

The “server slam,” or early access, hit its peak at around 150,000 concurrent players. These numbers, however, were not nearly as high after the official launch on March 5, with numbers peaking at around 90,000 players. As the numbers show, many were disappointed with this game, pointing out issues with the user interface, overdone difficulty, and the interest of the game as a whole.

In his review of Marathon, NerosCinema explains his dislike of the game. “The game is free, and I still feel like I want my money back, man, it’s really that bad… even something as simple as shielding and healing in this game is an exercise in frustration,” he says.

There have also been players, however, who are starting to love the game. Despite their negative first impressions, there is a group that believes the game gets better as you play it. These gamers are saying that the complexity is simply something that has to be learned in order for the game to be enjoyable.

In Wallzer’s review, he says “I understand that the game won’t be for everyone, it’s not that casual, but it’s also a game that has a learning curve to it, so you definitely need to put your time in to really understand the game.”

As of March 8, however, there has been growing positivity revolving around a specific map that was released after the launch of the game. While the game has not gotten any easier, many are saying this map has made the game much more exciting and enjoyable.

Overall, there are many mixed opinions on Marathon, just as there will be with any new game. As the game continues to update and change, gamers will be able to truly settle into a decision on whether they like or dislike the game.