The Hilarious Glitch That Forced Marathon Buyers to Download Destiny 2
The gaming world is abuzz with the impending return of Marathon, Bungie’s legendary shooter, getting a modern extraction shooter makeover. But it seems Bungie, in its infinite wisdom (or perhaps just a really awkward bug), wasn’t quite ready to let go of its flagship title, Destiny 2.
In what can only be described as a marketing strategy gone hilariously wrong (or terrifyingly right, depending on how much you love the grind), players eagerly pre-ordering Marathon on Steam found themselves staring at a Destiny 2 download.
It’s like buying a new pair of shoes only to find your old, worn-out sneakers mysteriously superglued to the bottom. Bungie really said, “We heard you like extraction shooters, so we put an extraction shooter in your extraction shooter pre-order!”
That’s what happened to those who pre-ordered Marathon on Steam after its release date reveal earlier this week. In a statement on X, Bungie has said it has “resolved the issue” along with another that presented an error when trying to activate the Collector’s Edition game code on Steam.
👉 READ ALSO: Bungie Reveals Full English Voice Cast in Marathon
Marathon: The “Buy One, Get Destiny Free” Glitch
The specific technical snafu saw many players who pre-ordered Marathon through Steam suddenly find their PCs initiating a Destiny 2 download.
Not only that, but some even reported a peculiar “Collector’s Edition” error message popping up, adding an extra layer of bizarre irony to the situation. It’s almost as if Steam itself got confused, scratching its digital head and thinking, “New Bungie game? Must be more Destiny!”
The irony here is thicker than a Hive Ogre’s hide. Players are trying to move on, to embrace the sleek, futuristic world of Marathon with its cool-looking Runners and mysterious alien threats.
Yet, their old flame, Destiny 2, is clinging on like a particularly stubborn Shuro Chi wipe. You can almost hear Destiny 2 whispering from your hard drive, “Don’t leave me, Guardian! Remember all the raids? The loot? The… ever-expanding file size?”
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.
— Marathon Development Team (@MarathonDevTeam) January 20, 2026
Bungie’s Next Chapter vs The Ghost of Shooters Past
Bungie responded quickly, clarifying that this was a labeling error on Valve’s storefront. The developers pushed a fix to separate the two titles properly.
However, the irony is difficult to ignore. Marathon represents Bungie’s attempt to expand beyond the Destiny universe. Yet, at the very moment they asked for cash for the new era, the old era literally refused to let go.
This glitch arrives just as Bungie is ramping up the hype for Marathon, recently dropping a slick new trailer that finally gave us a glimpse into the gameplay, the world we’ll be extracting from, and showcasing Marathon as the studio’s exciting new direction, a fresh take on a beloved classic.
If you haven’t pre-ordered yet, the “glitch” is gone. You can now buy Marathon without accidentally signing up for another tour of duty in the Tower.
Is Marathon Worth The Pre-Order Risk?
The glitch is fixed. However, Marathon isn’t hitting shelves until March 5, 2026, which means putting money down now is essentially an interest-free loan to the developer. If you are a die-hard Bungie fan, the technical hiccups won’t stop you.
Are you brave enough to pre-order, or are you terrified Destiny 2 will reinstall itself while you sleep?
Fueled by a passion for gaming and the ever-evolving world of gaming news, Daniel loves connecting with seasoned and new players to bring games to life on the page, exploring their narratives and gaming trends. A self-published fiction and fantasy author, Daniel has nearly 20 years of experience writing gaming news and a love for storytelling that drives his enthusiasm to deliver breaking news, in-depth analysis, and industry innovations. You will find him in-game as "Windfell."
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