Marathon Estimate Puts Sales at 1.2 Million Copies With Nearly 70% on Steam

r/pcgaming elevated a data-point-heavy story around Marathon's launch performance. According to GamesRadar, analyst Rhyss Elliott of Alinea Analytics estimated on 2026-03-24 that Marathon had sold 1.2 million copies across PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The platform split is what makes the estimate notable. Elliott said a little under 70% of Marathon sales came from Steam, while PS5 accounted for about 19% and Xbox a bit over 11%. For a multiplatform release from Bungie, a Sony-owned studio, that mix points to PC carrying the early commercial load. It is an unusually PC-heavy profile for a game tied so closely to PlayStation ownership.

GamesRadar added that the estimate is not entirely hanging in midair. SteamDB owner-estimate tools landed in a broadly similar band, with figures around 835,100, 848,500, and 1.14 million owners. A rough review-count multiplier also landed near 884,640, which the outlet treated as directionally consistent with Elliott's call. None of those methods replace an audited sales report, but together they help bracket the estimate.

The other part of the report is more interpretive. Elliott argued Marathon has not reached the same level as Arc Raiders and said Marathon's UI acts as a major filter for new players. That is not an official sales disclosure from Sony or Bungie, but it does frame why a technically strong shooter could still struggle to broaden its audience.

The Steam-heavy split also matters strategically. If the estimate is close, Marathon is performing more like a PC-first premium live-service launch than a console-led first-party tentpole. That could shape how Bungie and Sony talk about onboarding, interface clarity, and long-tail support over the next several updates.

For now, the safest read is narrow but useful: Marathon appears to have found a real paying audience, yet the early conversation is still about whether the game's structure and presentation are limiting wider breakout potential. Until Bungie publishes official numbers, Elliott's estimate should be read as a well-sourced market signal rather than a final scorecard.