Everything You Need to Know About Marathon Season 1

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With the launch of Marathon scheduled for Thursday, March 5th, Bungie has revealed its post-launch support structure for the extraction shooter. The studio confirmed a seasonal model where player progress resets regularly to maintain a level playing field. The first season, Death is the First Step (or simply First Step), begins a gold rush tech race and a war between rival factions. Players familiar with the Server Slam can expect similar core gameplay loops, along with a new map, faction, and the Rook scavenger Shell. First Step will run from March to June 2026, establishing a three-month seasonal release schedule. Here’s what’s new for Season 1: Cryo Archive Zone: A challenging, cooperative activity set on the Marathon ship, requiring coordinated strategies. The mystery entity within may be the S’pht Compiler from the classic Marathon games of the 90s. The community can unlock the Cryo Archive zone by unlocking the orbital path. Ranked Mode: Expected in the second half of March, focusing on extracting high-value items to climb leaderboards. A.R.R.I. Event New Weapon Mid-Season Tuning New Implants Bungie detailed the content available at launch: 6 Runner Shells (characters), including the Thief model.

6 Factions with complete contract progression 3 Initial Zones, with Outpost unlocked a day after release (level 12) 28 Weapons, along with modifiers, implants, and build cores Bungie’s key decision is the introduction of seasonal progression resets. At the start of each season, all players begin anew, losing their gear, player level, and contract progress. The studio states this ensures loot remains valuable and allows new players to enter the game without a permanent disadvantage. Achievements, titles, and earned or purchased cosmetics will carry over between seasons. The Codex progression, which contains discovered narrative secrets, will also persist. The Season Pass in Marathon costs ten dollars and provides cosmetic items. All gameplay content, including weapons, zones, events, and characters, will be free for all players, eliminating the need for paid expansions or story DLCs. Looking ahead to Season 2, Nightfall, Bungie will introduce nighttime versions of maps (starting with Dire Marsh) and a new threat: UESC security forces responding to Runners’ criminal activities. This season will also introduce the Cradle, a new system granting players more autonomy over their Runner shell attributes. “` Image credit: Bungie [Marathon (MarathonTheGame) March 3, 2026

Marathon Season 1 – Introducing Regular Resets and Community Unlocks in Extraction Shooter Genre

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