Destiny 2’s Steam Player Count Is Nearly 10 Times Higher Than Marathon’s

Bungie is facing an unusual live-service contrast: its older game remains far more active than the newer title intended to carry its next phase. Destiny 2 currently has nearly ten times as many active Steam players as Marathon, even as Bungie prepares to end future updates for Destiny 2 and continues planning content for its extraction shooter.

Destiny 2 Still Holds a Clear Player Advantage

At the time of the comparison, Destiny 2 had 34,735 active players on Steam, while Marathon had 3,671. That places Destiny 2 at almost nine and a half times Marathon’s figure, commonly rounded to nearly 10 times higher.

The gap is even more striking when compared with each game’s reported peak. Destiny 2 reached more than 316,000 concurrent Steam players during its strongest period, while Marathon peaked at slightly above 88,000. Both figures show that Marathon attracted significant initial attention, but its current activity has fallen well below the level maintained by Bungie’s established live-service game.

Bungie’s Support Strategy Creates a Difficult Comparison

Destiny 2 launched in 2017 and benefited from years of substantial expansions and regular content additions. That long support cycle helped Bungie build a large and established community, although the game’s player count has declined in recent years.

Bungie announced earlier this year that updates for Destiny 2 would be ending, with no Destiny 3 announcement accompanying the decision. Instead, the studio is concentrating on Marathon, which is expected to receive additional updates and expansions in the months ahead.

The comparison is not entirely even. Destiny 2 is free to play, while Marathon is a premium release. Destiny 2 has also had considerably more time to establish its audience, beginning with the original Destiny in 2014. Although Marathon uses an existing name, its extraction-shooter format and long gap since the previous game make it functionally similar to a new franchise for many players.

Marathon’s Next Updates Will Be Important

Marathon has a foundation of fans, but its current Steam activity suggests that Bungie has substantial work ahead if it wants to grow the game’s community. Future content could improve retention and attract new players, yet the present trend offers little reassurance about its performance.

The available figures cover Steam only. Destiny 2 is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Marathon is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Specific console sales and player counts are unavailable, although estimates in the source indicate Marathon sold worse on PlayStation 5 and Xbox than on PC.

Key points

• Destiny 2 had 34,735 active Steam players versus Marathon’s 3,671.
• Destiny 2’s reported Steam peak exceeded 316,000 concurrent players.
• Marathon peaked at slightly more than 88,000 concurrent Steam players.
• Bungie plans more Marathon content while Destiny 2 updates are ending.

Steam player-count comparison

Expert View

This gap signals the risk of moving a studio’s support strategy away from a mature community before its successor has proved it can sustain comparable interest. Destiny 2’s advantage reflects years of franchise investment and a free-to-play model, so it does not guarantee that Marathon will fail. However, Marathon’s lower activity makes its upcoming updates especially important. Bungie’s ability to convert curiosity into long-term engagement will be central to the franchise’s future, particularly after PlayStation spent $3.6 billion acquiring the studio.