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Marathon: Seasons
Learn how seasons work in Marathon and what to expect when a new season launches.
The Important Details
- Seasons in Marathon last about three months and will introduce new gameplay, including gear, Runner shells, zones, events, and more, which will be free for all players to access or earn–no expansions or DLC required.
- Each season of Marathon brings a clean slate for the whole community with progression resets, including everyone’s gear, contract progression, faction progression, and player level.
- Players retain achievements, cosmetics and milestones (such as the codex progression).
- Each season of Marathon will have a different theme and a unique combination of new features, content, and stories that continue to evolve the world and gameplay.
May 26, 2026
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SEASONS OVERVIEW
- Marathon operates on a seasonal model, with each season running approximately three months.
- Each season introduces:
- New gameplay systems
- New gear and Runner shells
- New zones and events
- Balance updates and quality-of-life changes
- Ongoing story progression tied to Tau Ceti IV
- The world of Marathon is designed as a living ecosystem.
- Player activity, community progress, and feedback influence how the game evolves over time — particularly as the mystery of the lost colony and the UESC Marathon ship unfolds.
- All seasonal gameplay content is free to access or earn. No expansions or DLC are required.
HOW SEASONS WORK
- Each season begins the same way: nothing.
- All players start fresh.
- No gear.
- No upgrades.
- A hostile world that is stronger than you.
- From early runs on Perimeter to high-risk endgame activities like Cryo Archive and Ranked mode, survival is a progression of mastery.
THROUGHOUT THE SEASON...
- Throughout the season:
- Complete contracts.
- Upgrade factions.
- Improve base stats.
- Expand Armory options.
- Raise your power floor.
- As your power floor rises:
- Recovering from a bad run becomes easier.
- Build crafting becomes more flexible.
- Higher-risk contracts and zones become viable.
- Competitive Ranked climbs become meaningful.
- By season’s end, players often reach a point where risk appetite spikes, running premium gear knowing a full reset is coming. Then the cycle begins again.
SEASONAL RESET
- Each season includes a full progression reset.
- Resets apply to:
- Gear
- Contract progression
- Faction progression
- Player level
- Specifically, seasonal reset affects:
- Runner Level
- Ranked Level
- Faction Level and Upgrades
- Credits and other currencies, except LUX and SILK
- All items in inventory and Vault
- Purchases unlocked by Schemas
- Mailbox messages, rewards, and returned items
- Priority Contracts, except the first contract for each faction
- Gear-granting seasonal Codex entries for Runner Level and Ranked
WHAT CARRIES OVER?
- What carries over:
- Cosmetics and weapons unlocked/redeemed during the previous season.
- Codex challenges and partial progress, except Runner and Ranked levels
- Faction Unlocks
- Initial Priority Contracts
- LUX and SILK balances
- Rewards Pass progress
- Cryo Archive Subroutines progress
WHY THE RESET?
- Bungie advises that these resets are intentional. They:
- Keep the game dangerous
- Maintain the value of loot
- Create clean re-entry points for returning players
- Prevent long-term power stagnation
- Each season is designed as a zero-to-hero arc… new strategies, new metas, new discoveries.
Season 2 Reset Cheat Sheet
Season 2: NIGHTFALL brings Marathon's first seasonal reset. Use this guide to quickly see what resets and what carries forward.
| Category | Resets | Carries Forward |
|---|---|---|
| Levels | Runner Level and Ranked Level reset. | Earned cosmetics, titles, and non-reset Codex progress remain available. |
| Factions | Faction Level and Faction Upgrades reset. | Faction Unlocks carry forward. You do not need to repeat Liaison Contracts for unlocked factions. |
| Inventory | All items in your inventory and Vault reset. | Cosmetics and redeemed weapon cosmetics remain available. |
| Currencies | Credits and most currencies reset. | LUX and SILK balances carry forward. |
| Contracts | Priority Contracts reset. | The first Priority Contract completion for each faction is retained. |
| Codex | Gear-granting seasonal Codex entries for Runner Level and Ranked reset. | Most Codex challenge progress carries forward, including Combat, Feats, Loot, Map, Runner, and Title progress. |
| Rewards Pass | Rewards Pass progress does not reset. | Rewards Pass progress carries forward into Season 2. |
| Cryo Archive | Cryo Archive Subroutines progress is not reset. | Cryo Archive Subroutines progress carries forward. |
| Mailbox | Messages, rewards, and returned items in your Mailbox reset. | Claim anything important before the season ends. |
PRE-SEASON CHECKLIST
Before Season 2 Begins
Before NIGHTFALL starts, clean out your rewards, use your gear, and secure anything tied to your Season 1 progress.
SEASON 2: NIGHTFALL
- Season 2 reflects the consequences of player activity, launching June 2, 2026.
- The UESC will escalate security measures in response to increased Runner interference on Tau Ceti IV.
- Each season moving forward will introduce:
- A distinct theme
- New story beats
- System adjustments
- Meta shifts
- Expanded progression layers
- NIGHTFALL Highlights
- Night Marsh, a nighttime version of Dire Marsh
- Increased UESC presence
- New Runner shell: Sentinel
- New weapons, mods, cores, contracts
- The introduction of The Cradle
- The Cradle is a new system designed to provide greater control over Runner shell statistical customization, allowing players to shape strengths and weaknesses more intentionally.
- Bungie advises that Marathon one year from launch should feel meaningfully different from day one.
- Seasonal evolution is central to the design philosophy.
SEASON 2 SPONSORED KITS!
CyberAcme Sponsored Kits are based on your final Runner Level from Season 1. These rewards are additive, so reaching Level 75 grants all listed kits.
| Final Runner Level | Season 2 Sponsored Kit | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| Level 10 | Enhanced CyberAcme Sponsored Kit | A starter boost for players who reached early Season 1 progression. |
| Level 25 | Enhanced CyberAcme Sponsored Kit | Another Enhanced kit for players who pushed deeper into Season 1. |
| Level 50 | Deluxe CyberAcme Sponsored Kit | A stronger Season 2 launch package for dedicated Season 1 players. |
| Level 75 | Superior CyberAcme Sponsored Kit | The top Sponsored Kit tier. Reaching Level 75 grants this plus every lower Sponsored Kit. |
SEASON 1: DEATH IS THE FIRST STEP (RECAP)
WHAT IS SEASON 1?
- Also known as FIRST STEP, Season 1 marks the beginning of a new gold rush on Tau Ceti IV.
- Key themes:
- A proxy war between rival factions
- The mystery of the 30,000 lost colonists of New Cascadia
- Runners operating at the center of escalating expeditions
- Core Season 1 Progression
- Explore Tau Ceti IV’s hostile surface
- Discover access to the derelict UESC Marathon ship
- Unlock the fourth zone: Cryo Archive (community-gated orbit access)
- Engage in endgame vault runs and security puzzles
- Confront unknown entities aboard the Marathon
- Ranked Mode
- Unlocked mid-March
- Exfil with high-value loot
- Climb the competitive ladder
- Earn exclusive seasonal rewards
- Additional Season 1 additions included:
- Events
- Balance updates
- Quality-of-life improvements
- New implants
- New weapons
- Additional surprises
LAUNCH CONTENT
- Full faction and contract progression
- Six factions (including Sekiguchi Genetics)
- Six launch Runner shells (including Thief)
- Three launch zones (including Outpost)
- 28 weapons
- Mods, cores, implants, and build-crafting systems
- Earnable cosmetics and achievements
- Codex storytelling progression
- Note: Outpost unlocks one day after launch, once players reach Runner Level 12.
END
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