Bungie confirmed plans to make the current Season 1 reward pass feel more valuable Marathon players by revealing new Runner Shell skins and other additions coming in April. Despite the rocky development cycle, Marathon has seemingly found its footing in 2026 thanks to a much more well-received Server Slam compared to last year's Alpha Test. The extra time has seemingly made the game great and while the experience isn't perfect, Marathon seems to have already found a passionate base of players.
After launching on March 5th, the experience still hasn't been perfect, although Bungie has seemingly been quick to try to fix issues players have reported. In fact, the Server Slam test saw most players criticizing the game's user interface over readability issues. On the opposite end of the spectrum, fans seem to have embraced that fact Marathon have seemingly learned lessons Destiny 2s microtransactions and will not charge for seasonal content, offer items that unlock content, or discontinue any reward passes after the season ends. Even with the reduced FOMO elements, players have still noted some issues with Marathons microtransactions.
Artist whose work was plagiarized by Bungie's Marathon gets in-game credit
Marathon players discover a unique in-game credit for the independent artist known as Antireal, who was affected by Bungie's art plagiarism scandal.
Bungie Announces Improved Rewards in Marathon's Reward Pass
One particular issue that has continued to be raised is how unremarkable the Season 1 Rewards Pass is, with many feeling that the value of what is earned for the price it is offered is not worth it. Bungie has already moved quickly to address this particular feedback, previously announcing that the studio planned to make improvements and add more value to the things players can purchase, including the Reward Pass. The first step in that process was to fix Marathons premium currency value, as previously buying a $10 pack of LUX would only yield 1,100, which was not enough to buy a cosmetic skin for 1,120 and force players to buy more. Now $10 will give the correct amount of 1,120 LUX and anyone who bought a pack before will get another 20 LUX as compensation.
The second part of that plan was just announced over social media, with Bungie revealing how it plans to make the Season 1 Reward Pass feel more valuable. Previously, there was only 1 runner skin available on the Premium lane, the Achromatic Rush skin for Vandal. After an April update, Thief, Assassin, Destroyer get new Runner Shell styles within the Premium lane, while a Recon Runner Shell style is added to the Free lane. Specifically, they seem to use the same monochrome styles seen in the Vandal skin, being mostly black with white spots here and there. To help balance out the free rewards, Bungie is also adding a WSTR Shotgun Style and a Profile Emblem, both of which will also be added to the game during a mid-season update in April.
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However, that wasn't all that Bungie confirmed as players will have more ways to earn new cosmetics for the different ones Marathon Runner Shells simply by playing. The Disciples of Arachne Shell Styles are being prepared for an upcoming Marathon update and will be earned through the Codex. Bungie also gave players an early look at the skin design, showing Triage with a mix of black, white and red, with just a hint of purple.
The reaction to the reveal seems to be quite positive, although it will be interesting to see if this change helps stop the current review bombing campaign Marathon experiences. While issues with the user interface and microtransactions were mentioned, others have complained that Marathon feels “too sweaty” with a quick time to kill and not being particularly friendly to casual players, while some have highlighted performance-related issues. There are even such Destiny 2 fans who remain disillusioned and ignored by Bungie after Shadow and Order was delayed and no roadmap for 2026 content was provided.
- 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
