The free Server Slam of Bungie for the upcoming Marathon, its extraction shooter game, kicked off with a bang on February 26, 2026. It hit 143, 621 concurrent Steam players in just the first hour. However, this celebration was just short-lived. Only by day 2, the concurrent players number nosedived to 64,952 players—a 55% drop that got the gaming community talking. Now, while the test sessions naturally do see fluctuations, this type of steep decline has raised eyebrows about deep issues that are plaguing this highly anticipated title.
UI nightmares and some gameplay issues are driving Marathon players away
The PC gamers complaints that are stacking up against Marathon read like some checklist of what not to do within a modern shooter. The players are tearing into the user interface specifically, and it is sounding genuinely very rough. An X user has highlighted that the Contracts menu is an “absolute eyesore” with a chaotic mix of fonts, bold text and capitalized letters. There is also weird spacing, which is making navigation feel like homework.
The Reddit users, too, are frustrated now with the inventory management system in-game. One of them pointed out how difficult it is to tell items apart—quite apparently green rarity shield looks almost similar to another. It forces players to filter by item value, just to make sense of loot. That is not a snappy and intuitive experience that is needed within an extraction shooter game.
Gameplay in itself here is not escaping criticism. A user explained why they bounced off, saying, “I legit tried. Just not for me, and partly to do with these PVP die every 45 seconds games are more frustrating than fun. Even a streaming giant Ninja called this game an ass, bluntly, during a broadcast.
Players are voicing harsh criticism as numbers for Marathon tumble
This drop in player count was not a simple drop. It plummeted, and on X, one can find the answer to why. An X user, without mincing words, said, “Terrible game. Don’t take my word for it. Play it and uninstall it later like the rest of us.”
The sentiment was echoed across platforms as another X user added, “Cooked. It was simple,make a good game. They did not.”
Some observers even drew uncomfortable comparisons of the game with some recent most failed games. One of them, while warning, stated, “We all prayed for this. Marathon will become Concord 3, mark my words.”
“Concord 3, Concord 3!” added another. This reference to Concord clearly stings, as this hero shooter game by Sony crashed and burned shortly after its launch.
However, not all hated the experience. A user offered a balanced take, suggesting, “I personally have had some fun with this game, but it has glaring issues. If Bungie were given the grace to release it and put the work into it that they did to save Destiny 2 with Forsaken, its potential will have been realized.”
What’s Bungie’s reaction to these complaints?
As per reports, Bungie has already acknowledged the feedback, particularly around UI issues. The team has pointed players to Discord for their continued discussions. Moreover, they are already pushing out some fixes—boost to enemy crews within the Perimeter zone, working on voice chat issues or mouse lags. However, with the Server Slam running till only March 2, and full launch scheduled for March 5, 2026, there is barely time for course-correct. They cannot move away from releasing game.
Overall, the game is not all bad. Some players have praised its crisp gunplay, retro-futuristic visual style and runner customization. However, first impressions are important, and for now, Marathon is fighting a battle against an already set perception. Now, whether Bungie can pull off a Destiny 2: Forsaken-style save before the launch day is a million-dollar question.
