While Marathon features a variety of different character “shells” for players to try out, it also has a free loadout option called Rook, though in an attempt to balance it, the shell has a few limitations that aren’t present in some other extraction shooters. It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for Marathon, after a lackluster testing period last year, along with a variety of controversies, such as art plagiarism, that ultimately saw the game delayed into 2026. However, after the game’s re-reveal this month, things seem to be in a much more positive place.
With the added development time, it seems that Bungie took the feedback to heart, not only resolving the art issues, but further improving the game with highly requested features like proximity chat and a solo queue, while also adding more environmental detailing, better lighting, and more content in general. Marathon‘s release date was set for March 5, earlier than what many people expected, with Bungie even promising players a free-to-play weekend ahead of its launch to give fans a taste of what they can expect on day 1. Although Marathon‘s an extraction shooter at its core, the game does feature a few differences from its competitors.
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Marathon’s “Free Loadout” Comes With Limitations
One such gameplay difference is the use of shells, essentially character classes that each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Each shell fills a particular archetype in Marathon, including the combat specialist Destroyer, support focused Triage, and the loot goblin known as Thief. Bungie is hoping that players will find a shell that fits their playstyle best, with further ways to customize and tailor the experience overall.
Marathon also has its own version of the Free Loadout called Rook, a class that lets players enter matches supplied with a basic set of gear without risking any of the player’s earned items. While seen as the safe option, Marathon is adding a few restrictions to the Rook so the class isn’t seen as a sort of easy button for players. Specifically, players who select Rook will be loaded into a match later than other players, while also only being able to queue solo and not while in a group. The idea here is that by entering a round late, other players who are risking their gear have the first crack at the best loot, while Rook players will simply have to scavenge and hope to not be targeted by other players. While easier to spot based on the Rook appearance, this class does come with a passive cloaking mechanism, so the NPC enemies will ignore them completely.
These restrictions might just be in response to what’s happening with Embark Studios and the massively popular game, ARC Raiders, at the moment. Many players have grown frustrated by ARC Raiders version of a free loadout, letting players swap in randomized basic gear, not having to potentially lose their own items while taking part in PvP or extracting with great loot. The difference is that even base level weapons like the Stitcher are very effective, allowing players to still be competitive without risking anything for dying. The other element is that selecting a free loadout in ARC Raiders doesn’t have many restrictions outside a smaller inventory and no safe pockets. Players can load in to matches at the start and feel confident that the level 1 weapon they have will still be competitive.
Embark is aware of the frustrations surrounding the seemingly incentivized use of free loadouts, however. While nothing has been confirmed, some studio members, like design lead Virgil Watkins, have confirmed that the studio could be changing how free loadouts work in ARC Raiders, potentially altering what sort of items are given, perhaps modifying the number of inventory slots, or making the whole loadout heavier to start. Alternatively, Embark has also considered adding a high-tier raid with a restriction that prevents free loadouts from being used in order to enter. For now, nothing is set in stone, but if Bungie’s Rook idea in Marathon gains traction, perhaps it could push Embark into making a few alterations of its own.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Violence, Users Interact
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
