In a concerning development, the latest PlayStation Studios first-party game appears to have bombed at launch on the PS5. While Bungie‘s Marathon successfully avoided becoming the next Concord, its early sales estimates aren’t great, especially on Sony‘s own platform.
Marathon PS5 game sales are concerning for both Bungie and Sony
According to Alinea Analytics, which specializes in video game market data, Marathon has estimated to have sold 1.2 million copies across the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, out of which the PS5 accounts for an estimated 217,000.
We usually dismiss estimates, but Forbes’ Paul Tassi claims to have heard from his source at Bungie that these estimates are pretty close to reality. While we don’t have the exact numbers and don’t expect Sony to announce them anytime soon, the fact that these sales are in the ballpark is pretty concerning.
PlayStation Studios’ financial woes and ballooning video game budgets have led Sony to shutter studios, lay off employees, and cancel dozens of game projects. Marathon developer Bungie has been significantly hit, too, and these launch sales estimates will raise eyebrows considering the cost of the studio’s acquisition.
Bungie is an infamously expensive studio to maintain, and if Marathon’s sales don’t improve, we’re looking at yet another financial disaster.
