A typical PS Store mistake has compelled Sony to distribute free copies of a major first-party game scheduled for release in March 2026. A promotional offer for Bungie’s Marathon, which launched last week, saw the Deluxe Edition content bundle deeply discounted on the PS Store. However, the bundle’s listing incorrectly stated that the Deluxe Edition included a full copy of Marathon.
PS Store users are now hopeful that Sony will learn some tough lessons after being forced to give away the complete Marathon PS5 game for free.
The original PS Store listing was misleading, explicitly claiming that the Deluxe Edition came with a copy of Marathon. This bundle was intended for purchase solely by owners of Marathon. But when the free play week went live and players downloaded the game, Sony’s longstanding licensing issues kicked in, causing the PS Store to register free trial users as full game owners.
As a result, the incorrect listing for the discounted Deluxe Edition became accessible to free play users, many of whom bought it believing they were getting a good deal—only to find out otherwise.
Because of this error, players who used the free trial ended up with Deluxe Edition DLC for a game they didn’t own and had no plans to buy at full retail price. The backlash was swift, prompting Sony and Bungie to honor those purchases and issue warnings to potential buyers.
A statement from the Marathon development team clarified the situation: “We have been made aware of an issue on the PlayStation Store where players could purchase the Deluxe Edition of Marathon at a discounted rate if they added the game to their library during the Open Play Week. Purchasing the Deluxe Edition this way does not include the base game…”
Many hope this incident will serve as a wake-up call for Sony to finally correct the persistent licensing bugs that have plagued the PS Store for years. Despite numerous reports, these issues remain unresolved.