Steam experienced some launch-day challenges on March 5, 2026, as both Slay the Spire 2 and Marathon debuted simultaneously. Despite the seemingly disparate nature of the titles – one an extraction shooter and the other a roguelike deck-builder – one game quickly emerged as the dominant force on the PC platform.
According to data from SteamDB, Marathon peaked at 88,337 concurrent players over the last 24 hours. Player numbers are expected to rise over the weekend as more users have the opportunity to try the game after work. But, Slay the Spire 2’s performance has been significantly stronger, reaching a peak of 288,314 concurrent players within the same timeframe.
Several factors likely explain Slay the Spire 2’s strong showing. As a sequel, it benefits from an established fanbase. The early access version of Slay the Spire 2 is currently exclusive to Steam, even as Marathon is as well available on consoles. Price point may also be a consideration, with Slay the Spire 2 being the more affordable option, though this is unlikely to be the primary driver of the difference in player counts.
Marathon shouldn’t be overly concerned by the success of a card-based deck-builder, and faces stronger competition from titles like ARC Raiders. Embark’s extraction shooter continues to draw a substantial audience, with a 24-hour peak of 192,003 players – over 100,000 more than Marathon.
