Back in September, we shared our vision for where Marathon is headed. Today marks the first step toward that March experience. The Nightfall Refresh strengthens progression and rewards. Symbiosis in December expands the world with permanent PvE, social features, and a larger Perimeter. In March, these systems come together through the interconnected PvE, PvP, and PvEvP experience we've previously outlined.
We're focused on addressing the themes we've heard most consistently from players about clarity, progression, onboarding, more narrative delivered by a new quest system, long-term goals, and reasons to keep playing.
We Heard You Like Roadmaps
Our next step begins today, with the Nightfall Refresh. Then in December, we will expand significantly with Symbiosis, so we can later take another large leap forward in March.
- October: A refresh to progression, rewards, and the live experience.
- December: Symbiosis introduces Marathon’s first permanent PvE experience, an expanded Perimeter, a new shell, improved onboarding, and a social space with a firing range.
- March: These pieces come together through connected PvE, PvP, and PvEvP survival experiences, expanded onboarding experience, deeper progression and shell customization, a refactored Cradle, a narrative-driven quest system, new enemies, and an entirely new zone.
While our team continues work on what's coming next, let's cover what you'll be playing today.
Nightfall Refresh Overview
Progression and Economy Reset
When you log into Marathon today, ONI will share some exciting news with you: fiscal season is over and your credits and equipment have been used as payment for your outstanding balance. With no money, no resources, and still in debt, your Cradle enhancements and Faction aftermarket upgrades have also been restored to their default state. In other words, you have been reset.
Resets, or wipes, serve a very specific purpose in Marathon: all players are brought back to the start line once again to make the battlefield feel a little more balanced: the in game economy is more active, you can benefit from updated systems to earn your favorite rewards again, and overall the game fells fresher.
Take these first few days to focus on exploring Perimeter and Dire Marsh (either of its versions) and earn some valuables and cool weapons. Get there with your crew, or on your own. We have updated our tuning for solo players, so facing the UESC shouldn’t feel as punishing when you are alone out there. Outpost won't be available until Thursday, and Cryo Archive will be making its return on Week 2 with an improved schedule: it will still run every week, starting Thursday October 15, but it won't end on Sundays, but on Mondays. Now you can finish your weekends on a high with a Compiler kill.
NuCal Inspired Reward Pass
Today's update brings a new Reward Pass available at no additional cost to everyone who owns Marathon. It won’t be time-limited, so you can complete it at your own pace. Let us know what you think of the new NuCal inspired skins!
Sponsored Queues and Vault Breaker
Sponsored Queues will return every weekend from Thursday through Monday throughout the Nightfall Refresh, following the same schedule as Cryo Archive. Sponsored Perimeter will be available the first weekend, followed by Sponsored Marsh in Week 2 and Sponsored Night Marsh in Week 3.
That three-week rotation will repeat until Symbiosis launches, with regular Extraction remaining available in each zone. We’ve heard that Sponsored Queues offer a more level playing field and make it easy to jump into a match, so we want to provide a clear and consistent schedule for when you can play them.
Additionally, you will all have another opportunity to play Vault Breaker, starting in Week 3. This queue remains a more approachable way to experience the haunting corridors and chambers of Cryo Archive. We are incredibly pleased it was so positively received among our community, and we hope the refreshed rewards help with the wait until our first permanent PvE experience, coming on December 8 with Marathon: Symbiosis.
Activity Calendar
If you don't want to miss out on anything, save the calendar below somewhere handy.
Runner and Equipment Adjustments
As part of today's update, we made some changes to both Runner shells and their equipment in order to shake up the meta a little bit. Repeater HPR and Hardline PR are getting their playstyles reworked while other weapons, like the Magnum or the fearsome DRRVSH will be a little less effective.
We've also made significant changes to Recon's Echo Pulse ability. It's still very useful when used in the right moment and in the right place, but a little bit less oppressive and mandatory when fighting other teams.
As always, we will keep an eye on how these changes land and will make further adjustments and changes where needed. Let us know how your favorite weapons, Runner shells, and builds feel after today.
Read the Patch Notes
If you want to find out everything that's changing with this update, we recommend you go and read the full patch notes we have just posted online.
Click here to read the Marathon Update 1.1.9.2 patch notes
Symbiosis Arrives December 8
Symbiosis arrives in eight weeks and will include our first permanent PvE experience. Players have asked for additional ways to explore Tau Ceti IV, pursue loot to take on bigger PVE challenges, and engage with the world at their own pace. Here's where this new experience comes in. We’re still working on key features for it and will share a deeper look before the update launches.
Along with the new PvE experience, we are expanding Perimeter, adding more distinct landscapes and depth. The new fungal ecosystem spreading everywhere has caused a huge transformation, opening new paths. We've also built new experiences akin to Pinwheel in Outpost or Upper Complex on Night Marsh, so players can earn rare rewards and face unique challenges.
Last, we have also developed a new Runner shell: Bishop. Players looking for a fast, surgical hunter-killer built around speed, surprise, and devastating bursts of melee damage will see their playstyle rewarded with Bishop.
Symbiosis adds much more to the game: a new Team Deathmatch mode for those looking for a more direct PvP experience, a new onboarding to smooth onramp into Marathon and, of course, many QoL updates for those of you who have been with us since the beginning, including a social space and a firing range.
March and Beyond
Marathon will continue evolving, shaped by what we learn from our players along the way, starting today. October rebuilds progression and creates a healthier seasonal ecosystem, then December expands Marathon with permanent PvE, social features, and a larger Perimeter. Then in March, those systems come together into the fully connected Marathon experience. Our current plans include the following:
- An interconnected system of permanent PvE, PvP, and PvEvP experiences
- A new onboarding experience
- A refactored Cradle and deeper shell progression
- More focused questlines and narrative
- New alien combatants
- An entirely new zone
A live service game is always evolving, shaped by the experiences we want to build and what we learn from you, our players. The work underway today will expand in December and come together in March, giving us a stronger foundation to build on through 2027 and beyond.
So never hesitate to share your valuable feedback with us so we can make the game you will love to play. Stay tuned for more information in the following weeks and months.
See you starside.