Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon introduced a PvE mode in late July 2026, which helped triple its concurrent player count. The announcement of the PvE mode came just days after Marathon lost its third game director in two years. Supporters of this format argued that live-service titles need time to grow, while critics pointed out that Marathon’s player numbers don’t indicate a patient audience. The introduction of the PvE mode is an important step. Marathon began as a PvP-focused extraction shooter, and adding PvE content shows Bungie is listening to feedback about its core gameplay not keeping players engaged.