The second season of Marathon is only a few weeks old, but Bungie is already providing players with the early word about next month’s mid-season update. One of the changes coming to the game is Vault Breaker, a new experimental PvE mode.
As shared on Bungie’s official site, Vault Breaker will let players explore the endgame Cryo Archive map and plunder its many “vaults” as either a crew, a duo, or solo, without the threat of running into other players. Each vault is described as “progressively challenging” and players will experience a progression that’s unique to Vault Breaker as they approach “the final vault and the mysterious entity within.”
To enter Vault Breaker, players need a special Sponsored Kit, and they will also have to leave behind any gear they find in the vaults when leaving, so that the new PvE mode doesn’t flood the game with the high-end loot players usually have to fight each other for in Cryo Archive. Vault Breaker also introduces a new currency, Vault Data, which can be taken out of the mode and used to upgrade Vault Breaker Sponsored Kits or gear that can be used in other modes.
The mid-season update is brings the first new iteration on the Cradle Evolution system, which allows players to upgrade their characters with improvements that persist between runs. Players will be able to reset their Cradle back to zero after maxing it out in order to earn another maximum Energy point and other “unique cosmetics.” Bungie notes that the cosmetics will be available later in the season, but can be earned ahead of their in-game debut. The Cradle’s progression speed is also set to increase with this update.
Marathon’s Season 2 mid-season update will launch on July 21, with further quality-of-life changes to be announced closer to that date. Looking even further ahead, Bungie announced that Marathon Season 3 will start on September 22. Season 3 will have “big changes to the early game experience,” as well as new weapons, equipment, a fresh Runner shell, and more.
Bungie previously shared its plans to broaden the appeal of Marathon during Season 2. The game even briefly had a free trial earlier this month. Meanwhile, the impending end of Bunge’s Destiny 2 has drawn even more concurrent players than Marathon for the game’s final update.