Marathon
News, coverage and analysis tracking Marathon across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Game Guidance
This guide provides 10 essential tips for players new to Marathon. It aims to help newcomers navigate their initial experiences and improve their chances of survival in the game.
Marathon Deluxe Edition owners have already found a resource exploit to speed through the Reward Pass
Owners of the Marathon Deluxe Edition have discovered an exploit that allows them to rapidly progress through the game's Reward Pass by repeatedly restarting the game to re-earn in-game currency. Bungie has previously warned of permanent bans for cheating, and it remains to be seen if players will be punished or if progress will be reset once the bug is patched.
'The whole map was friendly, and we all extracted together': Peaceful lobbies exist in Marathon after all, though I don't feel safe putting it to the test
Despite Marathon's PvP focus, instances of peaceful player interaction and cooperative extraction have been observed, challenging initial expectations. While the game is more violent than Arc Raiders, avoiding conflict can sometimes be a winning strategy for completing objectives and securing gear.
How to download Malware from West Gate in Marathon – Protect/Destroy 2 guide
This guide details how to complete the Protect/Destroy 2 contract in Marathon, a task for the MIDA faction. It breaks down the contract into three parts: downloading malware from a terminal in the West Gate gatehouse, submitting a dropship request south of Canal, and uploading the malware to the UESC dropship.
How to tag marked locations to complete Protect/Destroy in Marathon
This guide explains how to complete the Protect/Destroy 3 contract in Marathon, which involves tagging marked locations in Dire Marsh. It details how to install the UV Protocol and then locate and tag three specific walls in the Maintenance area to progress the quest.
Marathon’s initial launch sees solid early numbers, monetization complaints, and a few odd bugs
Marathon, Bungie's new PvPvE Extraction FPS, has seen strong initial player numbers on PC with over 88,000 players on Steam and positive user reviews across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. However, the launch has also been met with complaints regarding the monetization of in-game skins and cash shop bundles, as well as some bugs and issues with pre-order reward delivery.
How to complete Order/Chaos in Marathon
This guide details how to complete the Order/Chaos priority contract in Bungie's Marathon. Players must trigger alarms and hack encrypted data across Dire Marsh, which involves defeating a Security Commander for credentials and downloading data from a terminal in Maintenance.
Data Reconstruction Quest Guide In Marathon
This guide details how to complete the Data Reconstruction contract in Marathon, a quest for the NuCaloric faction. It breaks down the three-part objective, which involves scanning bioprinters and downloading data on the Perimeter and Dire Marsh maps.
What We Played – Esoteric Ebb, Marathon & Planet of Lana 2
This article provides previews of three upcoming games: Esoteric Ebb, Marathon, and Planet of Lana 2. The content focuses on early impressions and gameplay details for these titles.
What are Schemas in Marathon and how to get them?
Schemas in Marathon are special items found on Tau Ceti that unlock the ability to purchase specific weapons from Armory traders. Players can obtain Schemas through the Rewards Pass or by extracting them during runs from loot containers. These unlocked weapons are typically base quality and require mods to improve.
Artist whose work was used in Marathon without permission now has a credit in the game
Artist Fern "Antireal" Hook, whose work was used in Marathon without permission, has been credited as a visual design consultant in the game's final release. Following an investigation and resolution with Bungie and Sony Interactive Entertainment, Hook's name appears in the credits. Marathon recently launched on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
How To Increase Your Backpack Inventory Size In Marathon
In the extraction shooter Marathon, increasing backpack inventory size is crucial for carrying more loot. The only way to expand inventory is by equipping better backpacks, which can be found through looting or purchased from the Armory after unlocking specific skills. These backpacks offer additional slots beyond the default eight, with rarer versions providing up to 24 extra slots.
How To Unlock Each Marathon Faction
This guide explains how to unlock the six factions in the game Marathon: CyberAcme, NuCaloric, Traxus, MIDA, Arachne, and Sekiguchi. Players must complete specific "Liaison Contracts" after finishing initial "Welcome to Tau Ceti" contracts for CyberAcme to unlock the remaining factions and access their unique upgrades and contracts.
Slay the Spire 2 Dev Never Thought It Would Actually Pass Marathon in Steam Concurrents, Says Congratulations Post ‘Seems a Bit Meaner Than Intended’ - IGN
Slay the Spire 2 has significantly surpassed Bungie's Marathon in concurrent player numbers on Steam, reaching over 350,000 players compared to Marathon's peak of 88,337. MegaCrit co-founder Casey Yano expressed surprise at the success, and the studio clarified that a congratulatory tweet to Bungie was intended sarcastically and not as shade.
Marathon's credits include the artist whose work Bungie used without permission
The credits for Bungie's newly released game Marathon list Fern 'Antireal' Hook as a visual design consultant, an artist whose work Bungie previously used without permission. Hook confirmed the situation has been resolved to her satisfaction, with Bungie stating they are auditing internal processes to prevent future occurrences of unauthorized art usage.
Bungie ask Marathon critics to delay "full reviews" till the release of an endgame zone, and I am wistfully reminded of Vault of Glass
Bungie has requested that critics delay full reviews of its new game Marathon until a later endgame zone unlocks in March, a move the author likens to similar tactics used during the launch of Destiny. This request, while not a mandate, is seen as potentially influencing reviewers to soften their critiques, especially given that microtransaction details were also revealed late. The author expresses frustration with what they perceive as marketing manipulation, despite having enjoyed the parts of Marathon they have played.
Marathon launch player numbers are about half those of the Server Slam, at least on PC
Bungie's new extraction shooter, Marathon, has launched with significantly lower player numbers on PC compared to its recent Server Slam event. The game's peak concurrent players on Steam reached 88,337, less than half of the Server Slam's 143,621 peak. Despite the initial lower turnout, Marathon holds a 'Very Positive' user review rating on Steam, and player numbers may increase over the weekend.
Now Marathon Is Out in the Wild, the True Cost of Its Microtransactions Has Been Revealed - IGN
Bungie's newly released $40 game Marathon features microtransactions for cosmetic items, including character and weapon skins, and a battle pass. While gameplay-affecting items are not for sale, some players have criticized the pricing of skins and the virtual currency system, which often requires purchasing more currency than needed for a specific item. Others defend the monetization, noting that it is comparable to or less expensive than other premium titles and free-to-play games.
Marathon Deluxe Edition owners are using an incredibly simple "infinite silk exploit", letting them max out the reward pass within hours of the game's release
Owners of the Deluxe Edition of Bungie's new sci-fi extraction shooter Marathon are reportedly exploiting a bug that allows them to quickly max out the season one reward pass. The exploit involves repeatedly restarting the game to regain the Deluxe Edition's Silk currency, which is used for reward passes. While the exploit does not grant player power or involve real-money purchases, it allows players to unlock cosmetics faster than intended, and Bungie may implement a rollback for affected accounts.
Marathon Credits Artist Who Claimed Bungie Stole Their Art
Bungie has credited artist Fern Hook, also known as Antireal, in the newly released Marathon game, following an art theft allegation settlement. Hook had claimed Bungie used their designs without permission, a dispute that was resolved to Hook's satisfaction in late 2025. Marathon is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
