Bungie's extraction shooter Marathon pulled 143,621 concurrent players on Steam during its first day of public testing, signaling strong interest ahead of next week's launch.
The Server Slam opened February 26 as a free weekend preview across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. SteamDB data shows the game quickly climbed the platform's most-played charts, though total player counts remain unknown for console platforms where Microsoft and Sony don't share concurrent numbers.
Marathon launches March 5 at $39.99 following a development cycle that saw it delayed out of 2025. The early turnout places it within striking distance of rival extraction shooter Arc Raiders, which recorded 189,668 concurrent players during its own pre-launch stress test last year.
Bungie has already begun addressing player feedback from the Server Slam weekend. The developer acknowledged widespread complaints about Marathon's user interface design, with players reporting unintuitive icons and excessive visual clutter in menus.
"We've heard your thoughts and want to hear more,"
Bungie stated regarding UI feedback while directing players to its Discord for further discussion. The studio also responded to reports that player-versus-player encounters aren't occurring frequently enough during matches. Bungie suggested players move from beginner areas to more challenging zones like Dire Marsh for increased PvP opportunities.
"Perimeter intentionally infils fewer Runners. Additionally, the UESC are deadlier than you might think and will wipe you off the map if you let them swarm."
With the Server Slam running through March 2 at 10am PT, Bungie plans to implement updates during the event and "tie up any loose ends" before launch day. The free test offers rewards that will carry over to purchased copies of the full game.
Marathon's early numbers suggest extraction shooters continue drawing substantial audiences following Arc Raiders' commercial success last year.
The genre has gained mainstream traction through accessible pricing models and competitive gameplay loops that reward both aggressive PvP encounters and careful extraction strategies. The Server Slam represents Bungie's final public test before attempting to establish Marathon as a sustainable live-service title alongside Destiny 2.
