ARC Raider's number of dropping players is good news for Bungie's Marathon

ARC Raiders turned out to be one of the biggest games of 2025. That's saying a lot, given that titles like Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, Battlefield 6and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was also launched in the same year. Before ARC Raiders hit the scene, extraction shooters were a more niche genre. Now they could be the next big thing.

The escape from Tarkov was the best shooter for a long time, but its notorious learning curve and high challenge level don't exactly appeal to a wide audience. ARC Raiderson the other hand, made the genre much more accessible. The sci-fi inspired post-apocalyptic extraction game has resonated with many players and has brought in some really impressive numbers. However, that number of players has decreased since the early days. The game remains one of the most popular shooter titles at the moment, but this drop in players could be a solid opportunity for its biggest competition: Marathon.

As the ARC Raiders player count begins to settle, Marathon is waiting around the corner ready to pounce

Marathons story is one filled with highs and lows. It was announced in 2023, followed by a long period of silence. However, April 2025 changed that. Developer Bungie released a visually stunning trailer directed by Alberto Mielgo, which quickly made waves across the internet. There was a lot of positive feedback regarding the game's art direction, but some were left skeptical of the game as a whole. Bungie revealed that a closed alpha test would take place between April 23 and May 4 to ensure the game was satisfactory before its debut in September 2025. This would prove to be the first major hiccup in Marathons path to release.

Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.

Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

Marathon and Bungie's Rough 2025

After the alpha test, the participants were disappointed. This ultimately led to Bungie deciding to delay the game indefinitely. That wasn't the only problem Marathon however, met between April and May 2025. In May, the artist Antireal accused Bungie of plagiarizing her artwork and using it for some of Marathons design. Bungie eventually came forward and confirmed their claims, revealing that a former artist working at the studio included Antireal's design without the rest of the team knowing. It was a one-two punch of bad press covering Marathon in a cloud of skepticism. The Marathon the art controversy was eventually resolved, but Bungie remained tight-lipped about when a new release date would be planned. That silence was finally broken this year.

On January 19, Bungie revealed Marathons new release date: March 5, 2026. There are now only a few short weeks until Marathon launches, and ARC Raiders may need to be on guard when that day comes.

ARC Raiders has lost many players since its launch in October

ARC RaidersThe all-time peak on Steam was 481,966 players on November 16, 2025.
As of this writing, the number of Steam players is 206,424.

To be clear, the lower number of players is still a number most games would kill for. ARC Raiders has been able to maintain a consistent player base incredibly well. Consistency really is the ultimate key to longevity, though Marathon approaching as the first real competitor in its space. Once the game is here, it will be impossible not to compare ARC Raiders and Marathon. The two games have the chance to ignite a new rivalry that is on par Call of Duty against. Battlefield If Marathon delivers.

At the end of February, ARC Raiders and Marathon are already pitted against each other

ARC Raiders' The Shrouded Sky update is coming on February 24th.
Marathons server slam goes live on February 26th.

ARC Raiders' The Shrouded Sky update adds some exciting environmental shake-ups, like hurricanes. The Extraction shooter has built a solid world that allows Embark Studios to gradually build and evolve with these kinds of updates, so ARC Raiders really has to do for it. This approach keeps things fresh, though Marathons server mud may attract some ARC Raiders fans to check out another take on the genre. Even beyond the server mud, there is sure ARC Raiders players who may have gotten bored and are looking for something new. Embark Studios has done a great job of maintaining ARC Raiders exciting, but some players may simply have a craving that only a new game can satisfy.

The Shrouded Sky update also finally adds beards for characters.

Marathon has had a tough journey to reach this moment, but it will be fascinating to see if the extra time in the oven has paid off for Bungie. While the closed alpha tests didn't go according to plan, the server crash has the potential to mark a new chapter for the game. If it goes well then ARC Raiders will have a truly worthy competitor. There are some good extraction shooters out there, but that's for sure ARC Raiders is now the king of the genre. Having another great extraction shooter into the mix will not only be good for the competition, it will further cement extraction shooters as the next big genre.

ARC Raiders and Marathon will also be the same price point of $39.99.

Games like Wolfenstein 3D and Downfall started the FPS trend, Call of Duty popularized the military shooter, and Fortnite spawned a tsunami wave of Battle Royale clones and live service titles. It feels like it's time for something new to take hold in the industry now, and ARC Raiders and Marathon going head-to-head could be the exciting start of a new era. If all goes well for Marathons server slam, it will be fascinating to see how ARC Raiders responding to another heavy-hitter in its territory. Only time will tell, but watching the feedback Marathonthe release will be compelling. Bungie has more than likely improved Marathons gameplay and overall content, and this has the potential to convert power ARC Raiders player for good.