Bungie's Marathon reboot has been under fire for plagiarism of a British artist, and a new report has suggested Sony has set a sales target for the game that could prove challengingTech13:07, 21 May 2025Is Marathon in trouble?Destiny 2 developer Bungie isn't having the best of weeks, despite revealing a series of expansions for the game and preparing for the launch of its Marathon reboot in September.Still, the studio was forced to go back to the literal drawing board in recent days, with an artist claiming much of the game's design language was lifted from her portfolio, including some lifted wholesale.‌Now, Forbes' Paul Tassi, a regular reporter on Bungie, has discussed the high stakes facing the studio. Reports had previously suggested that Bungie is close to being absorbed into Sony and losing its autonomy if it underperforms, and that seems more likely than ever, given the publisher apparently wants the game to hit a high sales target.‌Posting the above video on YouTube where he explains the deep issues with Marathon on multiple levels, and how it's unlikely to be a critical hit, Tassi reveals he's heard Sony is expecting big things."I heard this needed to be in the top 5 of NPD sales for the year if it's going to be a success, or considered a success," he explained.Article continues below"Crazy," he adds, "there's no way".Last year, Sony did have a live service game in the top five NPDgames with Helldivers 2, but that felt like a cultural zeitgeist moment that didn't enter the arena with all of the baggage Marathon now has saddled on it.The gaming community praised Marathon's visuals, but now those are being questioned, too‌Considering 2025 has already seen critical hits like Monster Hunter Wilds and Split Fiction doing well sales-wise, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is launching soon, it seems like a tall mountain for Bungie to climb–especially since it's launching at a price point when many alternatives in the genre are free-to-play.Still, it would be interesting for Sony to push a specific sales number, given that a live service title tends to live or die based on player retention.Over the weekend, Tassi reported that morale at the studio has plummeted.Article continues belowHe said: "Sony and Bungie legal are now sorting through this, and there is unlikely to be any new information as all of this continues to unfold. It is not clear how long an “audit” will take of the assets to remove or find any more plagiarism, as it’s an expansive enough process to have Bungie not even show any footage at all in its recent livestream.""Morale is in 'free-fall” across all departments, and “the vibes have never been worse.” Everyone has the same concerns about what happens to Bungie as a studio if Marathon bombs, which is something they absolutely cannot afford."For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.‌‌‌ #playstation #sets #high #marathon #target