How to Access Cryo Archive in Marathon – Guide

Marathon arrived on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S consoles on March 5, 2026, but it didn't arrive as a complete package. It came with three maps (called zones in-game) for players to dig into, loot, and try to extract from, but there was always a fourth map waiting in the wings called Cryo Archive.

We see developers pace out new content for multiplayer games in their own way all the time, but Cryo Archive wasn't just a case of Bungie needing to polish it up a bit more before it was ready to release. It was the reward for players completing Marathon's alternate reality game (ARG) puzzle, which took Marathon's community of players a full two weeks after release to solve entirely, finally unlocking access to Cryo Archive for everyone - everyone that meets the requirements, that is.

This guide will take you through what you need to access Cryo Archive, and everything you need to know before diving into Marathon's most difficult challenge yet.

For more on Marathon, check out our hub page for all of our coverage, including our review.

How to Access Cryo Archive in Marathon - Guide

Requirements

There are three main requirements for accessing Cryo Archive:

Reach Season Level 25

The first is the simplest of the three. Just be at least level 25. Just like how you can't access the Outpost zone until you're level 12, Cryo Archive will be inaccessible to you until you're at level 25.

Establish a connection with all six factions

Second is to establish a connection with all six factions. This is also fairly simple, especially as it is something you should have already done by the time you reach level 25, and if you haven't, it won't be too difficult for you to knock off.

All this means is that you have to complete each contract that introduces each faction. Those are:

• Introducing: CyberAcme
• Introducing: NuCaloric
• Introducing: MIDA
• Introducing: Traxus
• Introducing: Arachne
• Introducing: Sekiguchi

The final contract on that list, Introducing: Sekiguchi, is arguably the most difficult one to complete, because it requires you to head to Outpost and cross the UESC-riddled zone while your health is constantly taking damage until you scan yourself in a specific area. That said, if you've not yet done it and are already at level 25, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to complete.

Minimum Loadout Value of 5,000 credits

This last requirement should also be easy to meet, as it simply means you cannot do a Cryo Archive run unless the loadout you bring with you is at least 5K credits in value. That means you should expect to bring high-value gear between your weapons, implants, cores, equipment, shield, and what you carry in your backpack, as well as the kind of backpack you bring.

You don't need to configure it exactly as I have here as an example, but this is an idea of the kind of value you'll need to bring with you. Cryo Archive is a high-risk, high-reward raid, so be prepared to lose all of your most valuable, and best gear.

Other Need-to-Know Details About Running Cryo Archive

This is not a Solo (or Weekday) Endeavor

You will not be able to run Cryo Archive as a solo. It is a full squad effort, and therefore you won't be able to run it as a solo, which also means you won't be able to run it as a Rook, which is at least a small piece of mind, knowing that once you've taken out the other players in a run of Cryo Archive, you can focus on taking as many UESC out to make your run as safe as possible.

The other wrinkle is that you won't be able to access Cryo Archive during the week. As Bungie has done in the past with its major raids, Cryo Archive is only available on weekends, so you'll be spending your weekdays and nights in Marathon preparing to run Cryo Archive over the weekend.

Everyone Gets a Free Shot

If you meet the three main requirements above, Bungie will also grant you access to a one-time, specialized Sponsored Kit that has been specifically tuned for Cryo Archive. This is a kit that is worth the aforementioned 5K minimum, and is Bungie's way of giving you at least one chance to run Cryo Archive that won't result in you losing your best gear.

Beyond that, however, you won't be able to run Sponsored Kits in Cryo Archive.

Your Goals are Security Clearance and Vaults

Cryo Archive is slated to have the most precious loot in Marathon, some of which cannot be found elsewhere. That loot is stored across seven vaults, and accessing them requires you have the proper keys and security clearance.

Some of the keys to vaults can be found on Tau Ceti IV. You may have even found one already that you hopefully haven't sold off, because its value to you could far exceed its value in credits by way of what it grants you access to.

Gaining the proper security clearance is something you'll have to do during your run. Just like how accessing Pinwheel Base on Outpost is something you need to do each time you enter that zone by collecting specific clearance cards, you'll need to solve Cryo Archive's puzzles to obtain the proper security clearance to see as much of the new zone as possible.

You can collect Security Clearance tags mostly by defeating UESC bots and finding the tags in their bags, though some of them can be found in random spots in Cryo Archive, like on a table or even just on the ground.

Getting Off is Not as Easy as Getting On

Overall, meeting the requirements to access Cryo Archive is mostly a matter of playing the game. It's not something you have to go out of your way to be ready for. That said, once you're on the ship, a successful exfil is not as easy as it is for the other zones on Tau Ceti IV.

We won't know exactly how to get off until we've run Cryo Archive (and this article will be updated accordingly) but all we know going into its launch is what Bungie said in its blog on Cryo Archive's launch, which reads, "Exfils on Cryo Archive are less reliable and follow different rules than the planet-side zones. You'll need to learn how exfils work to secure your way off the ship."

Update 24/03/2026: Now that I've played through Cryo Archive and successfully exfiled, I can add that getting off of Cryo Archive is, as expected, not as easy as it is to get on - but it is possible.

The first thing you need to do is collect enough Security Clearance tags that your squad has collectively made it to Clearance Level 3. Before that, you won't be able to spot Exfil terminals, which is the next step to getting off Cryo Archive.

Once you find an Exfil terminal, all you have to do is activate it, after which you will be given a few minutes to make it to where the actual Exfil is located, usually at some other corner of the map. Finding your way through the maze of Cryo Archive is the last obstacle you'll need to overcome if you want to leave with all of your precious loot.

Guide based on 50 hours of playtime in the PlayStation 5 up-to-date version as of March 20. Screenshots from the same version.

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