Bungie’s Marathon appears to have gained momentum following the release of Season 2. During its latest earnings presentation, Sony revealed that the extraction shooter has maintained strong player retention while continuing to bring new users into the game.
In brief
- Sony says Marathon has maintained a high user retention rate
- The game has also attracted new players since Season 2 launched
- Season 2: Nightfall arrived on June 2 with a free Open Play Week
- Sony did not disclose exact player counts or retention figures
Sony addressed the performance of Marathon during its Q1 FY2026 earnings presentation, offering a brief but positive update on Bungie’s live service shooter.
“With the release of Season 2 in June, Marathon has maintained a high user retention rate while also acquiring new users,” Sony stated.
The company included the statement in the studio business section of its presentation, shortly after discussing the continued revenue contributions of other live service games such as Helldivers 2 and MLB The Show.
Season 2: Nightfall launched on June 2 and introduced a fresh wave of content and gameplay changes. Bungie also made the entire game available through an Open Play Week from June 2 to June 9 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Progress earned during the free period carried over for players who later purchased the game, giving newcomers an easier way to try Marathon without immediately committing to a purchase. So that promotion likely contributed to the acquisition of new users mentioned by Sony, although the company did not provide a detailed breakdown.
While Sony’s wording is encouraging, it did not disclose the exact retention rate, active player count, sales figures, or number of users acquired during Season 2.
The statement therefore does not reveal how large Marathon’s current audience is. However, it suggests Season 2 has successfully encouraged existing players to remain active while creating renewed interest among newcomers.
