The numbers tell a clear story: while Bungie’s Marathon reached its peak with just over 88K concurrent players on Steam, MegaCrit’s Slay the Spire 2 has already climbed to more than 420K—nearly five times that figure. Both games arrived on Steam at the same time, yet the indie deck-builder’s launch has been nothing short of explosive, even in early access.
MegaCrit didn’t hold back in celebrating its own success, tweaking Bungie’s launch post to tease Marathon with a sarcastic note: ‘Don’t let small indie passion projects like this pass you by just because Slay the Spire 2 is out.’ The studio later clarified it wasn’t meant as shade, calling it pure sarcasm. Yet the timing couldn’t be more perfect—Slay the Spire 2’s player count has only grown since then.
For Marathon, Steam’s concurrent numbers don’t capture the full picture. While its peak on PC sits at 88K, console versions (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S) remain in the dark for now. If those figures were added, Marathon might close the gap—but today, Slay the Spire 2 is the undisputed king of Steam’s simultaneous launches.
That dominance isn’t just about raw numbers; it’s about player engagement. Slay the Spire 2 is still in early access, meaning its current state is far from final. Yet players are already diving deep, building decks, and climbing that spire—all while MegaCrit watches with a smirk.
The contrast between the two games’ launches raises an interesting question: will Marathon ever catch up? Or is Slay the Spire 2’s momentum too strong to match? For now, the answer is clear. The indie team has no regrets, and players have no shortage of content to enjoy.
