Bungie has released the latest update for Marathon, which includes the much-anticipated reversion of the combat audio changes the team admitted was "an overcorrection." Balance tweaks for weapons and Runner shell abilities, fixes for several bugs, and the confirmation that the endgame raid map, Cryo Archive is in the game. Though "good luck getting there," says Bungie.
That last jab is because, outside of the previously discovered requirements for accessing Cryo Archive, the community must first unlock the map by completing a long string of ARG puzzles. Also, Bungie added a third, previously unknown requirement for doing a run in Cryo Archive: your loadout will have to reach a value of 5K credits, which effectively removes the possibility of players with free Sponsored Kits running the raid. It's also another reminder that players cannot attempt Cryo Archive as a Rook, though that was already known.
It's a clear message that this raid should not be attempted unless you're prepared to withstand significant loss for the high-tier loot and resources you'll be able to collect if you successfully exfil. Cryo Archive is, after all, intended to be an endgame experience and Marathon's greatest challenge yet. It's high-risk, high-reward, and you won't want to go in unprepared.
The other major aspect of this update is that Ranked Mode is arriving in the game later this week. It'll arrive in four days, with players earning rank points for successful exfils with high-tiered loot and losing points for unsuccessful exfils. You'll also be required to create a proper loadout, which means no Sponsored Kits or Rooks in ranked.
Other notable parts of this update include changes to how items are stacked in your Vault. Now, you'll be able to stack larger amounts of items in your Vault, freeing up a large chunk of space, while the size of stacks in your backpack remains the same. Thief Runner Shells are also the first shells to get a nerf in Marathon.
Thief players will no longer be able to use their drone to grab loot from someone's backpack while that player is in the middle of the exfil animation. Previously, players could be in the middle of closing out a successful run, only to have their most valuable piece of gear ripped from them at the last second, unable to do anything about it. Yes, it is technically a nerf, but it's more of a proper balance fix than something that actively makes Thief shells less desirable to play.
Speaking of exfil, you'll now be able to activate an exfil beacon even while you're downed. It's unclear if activating the beacon will slow or pause your shell bleeding out while you activate it, and if you die before you can successfully exfil, you'll still lose everything. But at least you can still give yourself a chance if you're downed right next to an exfil beacon.
Rook shells can also now be accessed right from the start of the game, and you don't need to meet any requirements to make your first runs risk-free.
As for weapon tweaks, everyone's favorite shotgun, the WSTR Combat Shotgun has received a much-needed nerf, as the damage it does has a greater drop-off if you're not already at point-blank range. You also won't be able to fire it as quickly as the duration of its spin animation when being equipped has been increased.
Overall, many of these updates are welcome changes that should create more variety in Marathon's gameplay. And hopefully, those at the forefront of Marathon's ARG puzzles will be able to solve them sooner than later so we all run to the Cryo Archive on the UESC Marathon.
For more on Marathon, check out our hub page for all of our coverage. You can also check out my in-progress review, which will be updated with a score once I've had the chance to play Cryo Archive myself.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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