Bungie’s Marathon launches soon, and similar to its work on Destiny 2, the extraction shooter will be anchored by seasons that run for three months at a time. Each season is designed to contribute to the evolution of Marathon over time, but the main takeaway is that as soon as a new one begins, all players will have their progress reset to zero.
Bungie says that seasonal resets will include everyone’s gear, contract progression, faction progression, and player level, but achievements and cosmetics–both earned and paid–will not be affected. Codex progression and liaison contract progression will also carry over, and Bungie says the reset is designed to make loot feel meaningful while keeping the game dangerous. “It’s a way to say goodbye to the old, welcome the new, and kick off a journey from zero-to-hero with new ways to play, content to master, and things to discover,” Bungie added.
Seasons will also be free for all players and won’t require them to purchase expansions or DLC to access. As players complete contracts and progress through faction upgrades, they’ll steadily increase their power and gain access to better gear from the armor, allowing them to craft their ideal build and recover easily from a bad run on Tau Ceti 4. Once a season starts to draw to a close, Bungie explained that this will create a sense of urgency as players decide to jump into battle with their best gear before they lose it.
This isn’t an unusual idea in the extraction shooter genre, as Arc Raiders also features its own take on seasonal resets. The big difference here is that the character reset is optional, and only occurs if you choose to start a new Expedition. Players lose skills, gear, blueprints, coins, quest progression, stash upgrades, and more, but they also keep a substantial number of items and specific gear.
Season 1 kicks off a sci-fi gold rush
Season 1: Death is the First Step kicks off in the shadow of a proxy war between rival factions competing for power and answers to lingering mysteries. Players will work to find a way to board the derelict UESC Marathon ship hanging above the planet, a fourth zone that Bungie calls the Cryo Archive. Later in March, Ranked Mode will unlock, and players can put their skills to the test as they battle for valuable loot. Overall, the first season will include the following content and features:
- All six factions, including Sekiguchi Genetics
- All six launch Runner shells, including Thief
- Three zones, including Outpost
- Outpost will unlock the day after launch, giving the community time to gear up and unlock the zone at Runner Level 12
- 28 weapons, plus mods, implants, cores, and more
- Earnable cosmetics, achievements, and storytelling through the Codex
Season 2 and beyond
Once Season 2: Nightfall begins later this year, the antagonistic UESC will become deadlier as they monitor your activities. Bungie says that each season of Marathon will have a different theme and a unique combination of new features, content, and stories that continue to evolve, as well as new content to experience. This will include a new Runner shell along with new weapons, mods, cores, contracts, and more.
“We’re also working on brand-new systems that will change the way you play, plan, and progress throughout a season,” Bungie added. “For example, Nightfall will introduce the Cradle, a new system designed to give you more autonomy over your Runner shell’s statistical strengths and weaknesses.”
Marathon launches on March 5 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and Bungie says it’ll be addressing several issues in the game that were discovered during the recent Server Slam test.
