Resets only include things related to gameplay progression; you’ll keep your achievements, non-seasonal Codex prgression, and cosmetics.
For a full breakdown on how Marathon’s seasonal reset works, please head here.
Season 2 Gameplay Trailer :
New Zone: Dire Marsh (Night)
Dire Marsh (Night) brings a terrifying new twist to Marathon, challenging players to adapt when one of their most important senses is compromised.
As darkness blankets the marsh, familiar surroundings become distorted and far more dangerous. The Anomaly reshapes the landscape, visibility is drastically reduced, and long sight lines disappear into the gloom. Even using your flashlight can be a risk, as every beam of light could reveal your position to whatever may be hiding in the shadows.
The new zone features unique gameplay mechanics, fresh enemy encounters, and additional areas of Dire Marsh to explore. Designed to be slower and more methodical than its daytime counterpart, Dire Marsh (Night) leans heavily into survival horror, featuring fewer players, limited visibility, and a greater emphasis on carefully navigating both the environment and the threats that emerge after sunset.
Mastering the zone will require you to make use of the new equipment designed for surviving—and hunting—in the dark:
- Flashlights, a new tool all Runners have access to on Night Marsh.
- Vector rounds, a new type of mag which create pools of light where your bullets land, illuminating enemy Runners and combatants.
- Vector grenades which highlight the environment and illuminate nearby enemies.
- Darksight scopes, which highlight the environment around you after you ADS for a brief period; these are focused on traversal versus highlighting enemies.
- Signal Flares which light up the environment and come in multiple colors.
Dire Marsh and Night Marsh will both be available at all times for at least the first week of the season. After that, the maps will rotate availability with one another every 90 minutes.
You’ll be able to complete most of the existing Dire Marsh contracts on either zone, with a couple of exceptions. We’re also introducing some new Night Marsh exclusive contracts—MIDA and Traxus are both interested in learning more about what the UESC are hiding in the dark—which you’ll need to complete on Night Marsh.
If you unlocked and completed a run on Dire Marsh last season, you’ll have access to both Dire Marsh and Night Marsh when Season 2 begins (same rules apply for Outpost). Otherwise both Marshes unlock at Runner Level 3.
New Runner Shell: Sentinel
Season 2 introduces Sentinel, a new Runner shell designed to excel at area control and team defense. Whether you’re protecting your squad during a tense final extraction or holding off an aggressive enemy push, Sentinel is built to help your team stand its ground.
Sentinel’s Prime ability, Defender System, deploys an automated laser platform that detects and destroys incoming grenades and missiles before they can reach your team. The platform also provides a weapon handling boost to nearby allies, making it easier for your crew to stay effective under pressure. However, the system has a limited number of projectile interceptions, so managing its charges is key. It can provide crucial protection, but it won’t be able to stop an endless barrage of rockets forever.
Snare Mine, Sentinel’s tactical ability, is a thrown proximity-triggered mine that will detonate into several Immobilizing submunitions. Bait enemies into your traps and lock them in place to finish them before they can escape.
Sentinel’s passive trait Castle Doctrinegrants increased resistances after taking splash damage, and faster weapon handling for close-range weapons when surrounded by enemies.
Prey Tracker, their trait ability, will activate a short range, motion-tracking system that allows them to see nearby moving targets on radar. Use this to gather a bit of extra intel on who or what’s moving around you, and set up your defenses accordingly.
Two New Weapons
KKV-9SD
The first new weapon is the KKV, a pistol framed SMG with a built in suppressor that longtime Marathon fans may recognize by name. Firing at an impressive 1,200 rounds per minute, it excels at quickly eliminating UESC units without alerting nearby enemies. It is equally deadly against other Runners, capable of shredding opponents in moments. The KKV also serves as a strong answer to the aggressive shotgun rush tactics that dominated much of Season 1, giving players a fresh option for countering that playstyle.
The KKV is compatible with the new Folding Stock mod, adding extra versatility to the weapon. When folded, the stock improves hip fire performance, making it ideal for close quarters engagements. Using the weapon action allows you to deploy the stock, sacrificing those hip fire bonuses in exchange for improved aim down sights handling. The Folding Stock mod is also available for the new Battle Pistol.
The second new weapon is the D54 Battle Pistol, a versatile sidearm designed for close range engagements and one on one fights. Equipped with a built in red dot sight, it fires full automatic three round bursts that deliver a satisfying balance of precision and firepower. With its responsive handling and moderate rate of fire, the D54 feels like a blend of the BR33 Volley Rifle and the BRRT SMG, offering a unique option for players who want something between the two. It pairs especially well with sniper rifles and other long range weapons, giving you a dependable backup when enemies close the distance.
Both the KKV and D54 also work exceptionally well with Sentinel, whose abilities provide bonuses to close range weapons when surrounded by enemies, making these new additions even more effective in the heat of battle.
Rarities and Chips
Season 2 introduces adjustments to weapon rarities and expands the Armory with new options, all aimed at refreshing the overall weapon ecosystem. The goal is to change when and how players encounter certain weapons throughout the season, encouraging experimentation with a wider variety of loadouts rather than relying on the same favorites from season to season.
Alongside the addition of the KKV, D54, and the new Folding Stock mod, Season 2 also adds eight new weapon chips that bring unique effects and build possibilities. Some of the new chips include:
- Brain Freeze Chip: Precision downs and eliminations trigger a small explosion that spreads Frost to nearby enemies.
- Alarmist Chip: After aiming down sights for a short period, your projectile impacts generate a frightening proximity drone alert that can disrupt opponents.
- Scrapyard Chip: Defeating enemies with the weapon has a chance to spawn depleted healing items or standard crafting materials, providing extra utility during runs.
These new chips are designed to create more varied combat encounters and open up additional customization options for players looking to fine tune their preferred playstyle.
The Cradle
The Cradle is a new way to improve Runner shell stats without being limited by faction progression. It is where you go to upgrade your Runner shell across the season, with progression shared across all Runner shells and fully reconfigurable at any time with no penalties. As you level up, you unlock additional perks at key thresholds, giving players more control over how they build, adapt, and refine their playstyle throughout the season.
Progress is driven by the WEAVEworms that form your biocybernetic bodies, allowing you to enhance six different stat categories. Using the Matter Converter, you can turn weapons, equipment, and other items into Cradle experience, with higher quality gear granting more progress. Each level grants Energy that can be allocated across the stat categories, shaping your build as you see fit.
Faction Progression and Contracts
Runner shell upgrades are being moved into the Cradle, which frees up space to expand Armory options and gives more consistent access to weapons and items over time. Each faction now has its own set of implants for head, torso, and legs that reinforce its playstyle, with NuCaloric focusing on healing and durability and MIDA emphasizing mobility and disruption. Schemas have also been adjusted so they can unlock specific barter options in the Armory, giving more direct ways to target desired gear.
Faction Progression Improvements
Overall faction progression is being accelerated across Season 2. Requirements to level factions have been reduced, reputation gains have been increased, and more activities now contribute to progression. Standard Contracts now reward significantly more reputation, and additional sources such as enhanced valuables and defeating UESC also grant reputation. The goal is to make progression feel steady and achievable so active players can reasonably reach high ranks and unlock most faction content within a season.
Contracts
Contracts are being reworked to reduce friction and make progression smoother. Priority Contracts are shifting away from being progression gates and will instead focus more on rewards, and they are no longer locked behind faction reputation. Standard and Liaison Contracts are being refined to reduce overly demanding objectives, especially those requiring heavy traversal or completion in a single run. Cryo Archive Contracts are being redesigned into more gradual objectives that can be completed over multiple runs, making them less punishing while still teaching core mechanics.
Experimental Queues and Duos Queue
Experimental queues from Season 1 continue, including ongoing testing of different play formats and more player versus environment focused content. Season 2 introduces a dedicated Duos Queue with a rotating daily selection of maps including Perimeter, Dire Marsh, Night Marsh, and Outpost. This rotation is part of ongoing matchmaking adjustments aimed at balancing queue health and player experience while gathering feedback on smaller team formats.
Ranked Updates
Ranked mode returns with a simplified structure and new rewards. Low and High Stakes queues are merged into a single mode with a minimum loadout value requirement, and players must bring a Holotag that matches their rank. Progression is faster overall, and match outcomes are now influenced by the average rank of players in each match, rewarding wins against higher ranked opponents more and reducing penalties when losing to them. A daily Ranked Sponsored Kit helps reduce gear pressure, and players can earn Arachne reputation through extracting with Tag Chips. Additional systems are planned to reduce coordinated abuse across runs.
Cryo Archive Returns June 11
Cryo Archive returns as a rotating activity , Progress and subroutines unlocked in Season 1 carry forward. The activity continues to include a major challenge involving the Compiler, while earlier contracts have been reworked to be more approachable and spread across multiple runs instead of requiring full completion in a single attempt.
Quality of Life Updates
Season 2 includes a wide range of usability and performance improvements. Vault capacity has been greatly increased and now supports up to 512 grid spaces, with batch item selection added. Loadout and Vault management have been streamlined into a more unified interface, and players can access more menus during matchmaking. New filtering tools help quickly identify usable loot, and additional settings improve input control, privacy options, and matchmaking behavior. Performance improvements include CPU optimizations, support for frame generation on PC, better network stability, and reduced disconnect rates, especially for players outside the United States.
