Space Marine 2 Slashes Price, Revamps Siege Mode as Marathon Struggles

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is launching a free trial, a hefty discount, and a major overhaul to its Siege Mode horde content. These moves highlight how much faster the game’s multiplayer is growing compared to newer shooters like Bungie’s Marathon, which has only 7,284 concurrent players on Steam since its early 2026 release.

The updates to Siege Mode, described by PC Gamer, aim to make horde sessions “quicker and more intense.” This change comes directly from community feedback that the pacing felt slow. Developer Saber Interactive has shown a strong commitment to ongoing support since the game launched in September 2024, and this update continues that trend.

The free trial lowers the entry barrier at a time when Saber is clearly looking to take advantage of positive buzz and word-of-mouth. The steep price cut that accompanies the trial gives hesitant players little reason to hold back. This kind of bold promotional push usually happens for games that have already recouped their development costs and are now focused on attracting a long-term player base.

The comparison to Marathon is striking. Bungie’s extraction shooter sold 1.2 million copies at launch but lost players quickly, with a reported 70% refund rate within weeks of its release. Marathon launched at $39.99 on Steam and has an 86% positive review score from 39,765 users, but the active player counts show a different reality regarding daily retention. In contrast, Space Marine 2 has kept a healthier number of concurrent players months after its launch.

Marathon’s issues run deeper than just player numbers. Reports from earlier in 2026 revealed that Bungie has no other greenlit projects and that Destiny 3 isn’t in development. This means Marathon is carrying the studio’s entire financial future, but that pressure hasn’t built player confidence.

By The Numbers

Marathon Current Steam Players	7,284
Marathon Steam Review Score	86% positive (39,765 reviews)
Marathon Launch Sales	1.2 million copies
Marathon Refund Rate (post-launch)	~70%
Marathon Steam Price	$39.99

Community sentiment around Marathon has soured significantly. Several Steam reviewers have left blunt feedback, with one stating, “I want Destiny not Marathon.” This complaint reflects a common theme: Bungie’s audience never fully embraced the extraction shooter format. Fixing this disconnect between what the studio created and what fans wanted won’t be easy with just patches.

What To Watch

• Whether Space Marine 2’s free trial leads to meaningful paid sales and consistent daily player counts — that’s the real measure of whether this promotion succeeds.
• Marathon’s next major update or pricing change; with a 70% refund rate and fewer than 10,000 daily players, Bungie will need a solid response, not just another content drop.
• Bungie’s overall situation — with no other greenlit projects besides Marathon, the game’s commercial success will directly impact the studio’s near-term workforce and independence from Sony.