Marathon fans were just experiencing whiplash following the news that Sony took a massive impairment loss on Bungie, but still plans to support the game. Knowing that Season 2 is still likely to be released despite the game's disappointing sales, many lapsed gamers may be content to mark their calendars and shelve the game until then. After all, like most extraction shooters, Marathon has entered a tough period where casual players are struggling to keep up. At least that had entered a tough era, as a recent change did wonders to give free kit players a fighting chance.
Marathon players tired of feeling like they don't stand a chance against purple-shielded groups may have waited for the reset, but if they continue to do so, they'll be missing out on a particularly fun era for the game. With the reset only 4 weeks away, people will soon be bringing in their best loot to empty their vaults, meaning there's a chance for players to get their hands on some rare weapons they may not have used before. And it no longer feels impossible to fight these targeted players, as one of the tweaks in the starter packs in update 1.0.6.3 puts all runners on a more even footing. It's so good, in fact, that it should inform faction upgrades from now on.
The marathon director says Bungie has “year-long” story plans
Discussing the future of Marathon, creative director Julia Nardin reveals that the studio has plans for the game's story for years to come.
Marathon's green freebies are the smartest change yet
While MarathonThe short time to kill theoretically gives players a fighting chance in any fight, but having no shield and losing to a fully equipped team feels understandably unfair. And while the steep climbs and tough gates for long-timers are essential for extraction shooters, metas have emerged that only the most dedicated players can make use of after several weeks. It's for that reason that something needed to change to level the playing field, but instead of waiting for the big seasonal content drop to do it, Bungie moved faster and fixed the issue with higher rarity free kits.
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Having a base shield, some decent weapons, and some stronger healing items means that good positioning and smart use of Runner abilities is enough to win battles that might have seemed impossible with white kits. For casual players with no vaults to empty, this late-season tweak makes a world of difference, as contracts feel more doable and PvP encounters feel less one-sided. While this quality of free kit shouldn't be the norm all the time – greens lose their value if they're always standard, and they should be desirable again at the start of a season – it's a good approach for the last month before a reset takes place. The positive response to the change should also tell Bungie something; this is that players would love a way to boost their free sponsored kits.
Instead of the skill tree's capstones being built around powering up Marathon's Rooks – a solo option that not all players benefit from – it would be great to see them focus on making sponsored kits feel less miserable to run. This way, players can turn the white sponsored kit green bit by bit as they work their way through priority contracts and faction upgrades. Through a Cyberacme capstone, they could get a green backpack, Arachne could provide green weapons, MIDA could give Runners explosives, Nucal could dole out green heals, and Sekgen could equip Shells with white cores. Marathons free green kits were not only a well-timed change that proves Bungie has its finger on the pulse of the game's community, but they could be the gateway to more appealing capstones to hunt for non-Rooks. Yes, they can still be free for the entire two months into Season 2, but players who gate can earn them a few weeks in so they have an easier time filling their vaults.
Marathon Season 2 is expected to launch in June and run through August, although the exact release date is currently unknown.
Marathon's 1.0.6.3 update makes other big changes
Not only should Marathon fans worried about being overmatched will consider coming back ASAP thanks to this brilliant balancing act, but it's also worth highlighting the other smart changes in this particular update. Activities on each map now have a chance to drop the Prestige save, making them something worth fighting for and giving players too scared of the Cryo Archive a chance for some advanced upgrades. Also, the grenade spam has been stopped thanks to the prevention of stacking, and the CARRI fixture has been made more valuable with better save boxes and weekly resets for superior keys. So while it's understandable that players could have been frustrated Marathon and planned to stay away until Season 2 because of it, this update has ensured that it's now worth giving the game another shot before the big reset.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen/animated blood, language, violence, in-game purchases, user interaction
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
