Polygon Calls Marathon the Scariest Horror Game of 2026

Polygon has called Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon the scariest horror game of 2026. They argue that the fear factor comes from being ambushed by other players, facing powerful NPC enemy robots, and the risk of losing hard-earned loot. This assessment appears seven months after the game’s launch, with Steam reviews remaining positive and a live player count of 4,020.

Polygon’s argument focuses on three main points. First, other players can ambush you unexpectedly. Second, NPC robots can deal enough damage to end your run. Finally, dying means losing everything you brought in. The tension is built into the extraction format, not from scripted scares.

Marathon debuted on March 5, 2026, and Bungie sells it on Steam for $23.99. That price is lower than what you’d normally expect for a major shooter. The game is labeled as both Shooter and Action, not horror, which means Polygon’s interpretation is more of a critical take than a genre classification from the developer.

Steam reviews look solid overall. The game has a 79% positive rating out of 49,454 reviews. However, Metacritic hasn’t assigned a score yet.

Bungie continues to support the game. Update 1.034 was released on Oct. 8 and addressed crashes on the Night Marsh map. These stability fixes indicate ongoing live support, but they also highlight that technical issues are still a problem. Player-count trackers are starting to wonder if the game is losing traction, and the current figure of 4,020 players adds weight to that concern.

By The Numbers

Release date	March 5, 2026
Steam price	$23.99
Steam reviews	79% positive (49,454 reviews)
Current players	4,020
Latest patch	Update 1.034 (Oct. 8, 2026)

Community Pulse

The same elements that Polygon finds terrifying frustrate some players. Our sentiment analysis of 10 samples leans mostly negative, which contrasts with the game’s 79% positive Steam rating. One negative reviewer stated: “The game’s content is gatekept by its own PvP player base. When I repeatedly can’t complete opening missions due to griefing campers, what are we even doing here?” This complaint highlights the player-versus-player threat that Polygon deems scary. Whether this feels like dread or a barrier to progress really depends on the individual player.

What To Watch

• Player retention: If the current count of 4,020 concurrent players stabilizes or continues to drop, it will indicate if Polygon’s praise is bringing players back. Keep an eye on Polygon’s coverage for updates.
• Stability patches: Update 1.034 addressed Night Marsh crashes. Additional hotfixes would demonstrate how quickly Bungie is resolving technical issues.
• Early-game griefing: Any adjustments to how opening missions deal with campers would directly address the most common complaint in recent negative reviews.