Bungie: Marathon missed audience targets, gets December fix

Bungie acknowledged that Marathon fell short of the studio’s player expectations and outlined a December update, Symbiosis, that will introduce permanent PvE, a refreshed Perimeter map, a new Runner shell and a Team Deathmatch mode. The update is scheduled to arrive in December.

Player counts have declined since launch, with average concurrent players dropping from about 11,441 in June to roughly 4,749 in July and 2,827 in August. Bungie said the team understands “the game needs to evolve” and framed Symbiosis as the next set of changes intended to broaden how players experience Marathon’s maps and systems.

The developer reiterated that Marathon remains part of the studio’s future plans but was “never intended to replace Destiny.” Work on Marathon’s changes is running alongside broader efforts to restore past Destiny 2 expansions and address community concerns from the end of that game’s lifecycle.

Symbiosis will add a permanent PvE option so players can use Marathon maps without the extraction loop. The Perimeter map will be updated, a new Runner shell will be available, and a Team Deathmatch mode will offer a more traditional PvP format than Marathon’s extraction-focused design. Team Deathmatch departs from the game’s extraction loop and aims to provide an alternative way for players to engage with the shooter.

Bungie acknowledged the lower audience reach directly: “did not reach as many players as we hoped.” The studio added, “It’s important to us that no matter your playstyle or your skill level, we find better ways to hear from you as we get back to where we need to be: making games you want to play.”

The developer did not provide specific success metrics or target player counts for the update. Bungie said it will monitor engagement after Symbiosis and continue to collect player feedback as it implements the new modes and adjustments.