Pre-ordering Marathon on Steam Triggered Unintentional Destiny 2 Install, Bungie Confirms Bug Fix

Users who pre-ordered Marathon on Steam unexpectedly triggered installations of Destiny 2 due to a bug that Bungie has now fixed, according to an official developer statement. The glitch impacted customers immediately after Marathon’s release date reveal and caused widespread confusion among buyers.

Early Marathon pre-orders on Steam led to the automatic installation of Bungie’s Destiny 2 for affected users, an error the developer now acknowledges and has officially resolved. The issue was first observed when customers, anticipating Bungie’s new extraction shooter, saw Destiny 2 begin downloading on their systems without any manual input. This incident occurred directly after the release date announcement for Marathon and resulted in significant attention from the gaming community, given both titles’ popularity on the Steam platform.

In a formal statement from the official Marathon development team account, Bungie addressed both the Destiny 2 installation bug and a separate issue affecting Collector’s Edition purchasers:

“We’ve resolved an issue where Destiny 2 would begin installing after pre-ordering Marathon on Steam. We have also resolved an issue where Collector’s Edition owners would receive an error when attempting to activate their game code on Steam.”

This confirmation from the developers assures current and prospective buyers that pre-ordering Marathon will no longer initiate an unintended Destiny 2 download or prevent legitimate activation for Collector’s Edition customers. Bungie described the bug as “ultimately harmless (but funny),” emphasising there were no security or purchase risks, but acknowledged the inconvenience and confusion it caused.

Marathon Pre-orders Surge Despite Technical Hiccup

The bug did little to curb consumer demand for Marathon, which rapidly climbed Steam’s best-seller charts within hours of the release date announcement. By the end of the week, the game’s pre-order numbers were only outpaced by established AAA offerings and consistent hits like Arc Raiders and Counter Strike 2, demonstrating considerable public interest in Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter. This momentum comes as Marathon stands as Bungie’s first major new IP since Destiny, making the technical error especially noteworthy for both Steam users and industry watchers.

Marathon’s Steam pre-order performance signals strong anticipation for its full launch. The game’s presence at the top of the best-seller list underscores its high-profile nature, outperforming only by titles deeply discounted or long-time community favourites. The bug’s resolution means the Marathon roll-out can proceed as intended, without the distraction of unrelated downloads for Destiny 2, which remains Bungie’s other flagship live service title on Steam.

Recent Developments and Team Changes at Bungie

The run-up to Marathon’s release hasn’t been without further drama. Bungie’s art lead for Marathon reportedly departed the project voluntarily just a few months ahead of launch, following a significant gameplay overhaul based on public playtests. This exit occurred in the wake of an “art plagiarism scandal”, according to industry sources, which allegedly affected morale within the development team. Bungie has not commented publicly on the staff change or the plagiarism incident, but both events have added scrutiny to the studio’s management of Marathon as its release approaches.

Despite internal challenges and the now-resolved pre-order bug, Marathon continues to attract significant interest due to Bungie’s reputation for creating ambitious multiplayer experiences. The extraction shooter format, coupled with the studio’s established pedigree, has driven high engagement and persistent demand across social platforms and marketplaces. Marathon’s official pre-order trailer, featured prominently on YouTube and Steam, has further fuelled excitement and buyer activity.

Key Facts:

• Issue Identified: Pre-ordering Marathon on Steam inadvertently triggered Destiny 2 installation for customers.
• Resolution: Bungie confirmed on 21 January 2026 that the bug has been fixed.
• Affected Users: Both standard pre-orders and Collector’s Edition buyers experienced issues (error activating game codes for the latter).
• Consumer Impact: No purchases or accounts compromised, issue described as “ultimately harmless.”
• Pre-order Performance: Marathon surged to the top positions on the Steam best-seller list, only behind major discounted or established titles.
• Development Updates: Recent departure of Marathon’s art lead and major gameplay changes followed reported internal challenges.

Marathon’s pre-order launch sets high expectations both technically and commercially for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter. With critical fixes deployed and strong consumer momentum, all eyes remain on the final release in the coming months.