Marathon Explains How Season Progression Will Avoid Repetitive Grind

2 hours ago 1

Marathon Ranked Mode Arrives in Second Half of March

Published Mar 3, 2026, 4:39 PM EST

Miller Reynolds is a Journalist and Writer with a strong passion for gaming and writing news. Awarded the Excellence in Writing and Production Award while attending Loyalist College, Miller is experienced with covering a wide range of topics including politics, entertainment, and sports, and has been a dedicated gamer for over 25 years.

Miller's gaming roots began with classic 90's Nintendo games, but has since evolved into a love of all games from Dune: Awakening to Deep Rock Galactic. He Also enjoys strategy based games such as Civilization, Age of Empires, and Settlers of Catan. With a strong sense of gaming trends, Miller ensures readers are up-to-date with the most current gaming advancements and game guides.

Combining his two favourite passions, journalism, and gaming, Miller puts his heart and soul into the articles he writes, and is very proud to be able to connect with his readers.

Bungie's new extraction shooter, Marathon, is now days away from full release, and they've just revealed new information about seasons, and the end-game zone, the Cryo Archive.

Marathon Is Censoring Players Talking About Its Competition

That other extraction game seems to have gotten under Bungie's skin.

Launching on March 5th, Marathon has the potential to be the next big shooter on the market, as their recent server slam event appears to have been a success.

Bungie has stated the first season will be named, DEATH IS THE FIRST STEP, which marks the beginning of seasonal content updates including new zones, gear, and runner shells.

Marathon Ranked Mode, End-Game Zone, and Seasonal Content

In Marathon, surviving the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV is no easy task, as loot-thirsty runners, and swarms of UESC challenge your every move. But as you level up your faction upgrades and base stats throughout the season, things start to get a little easier.

Bungie posted on X earlier today, revealing each season will end with a full reset. "Seasonal resets mean that the game stays dangerous, loot feels meaningful, and there’s always a good opportunity to get back into the game or bring a friend in without feeling behind the curve."

These resets will include your gear, contract progression, faction progression, and player level, but you'll retain all of your cosmetics, titles, and rewards earned through reaching milestones.

The first season revolves around runners discovering a way aboard the UESC Marathon, a derelict colony ship floating eerily in the skies above.

Bungie posted on X earlier today, revealing each season will end with a full reset.

This will be the location for the end-game zone named Cryo Archive, where runners will crack frozen vaults, solve puzzles, and discover a new entity.

Bungie has stated a ranked mode will unlock in the second half of March, where players can climb the ranked ladder and earn exclusive rewards. More information regarding Marathon's ranked mode will be released closer to launch.

According to the Marathon team, the world and the gameplay will slowly evolve as each uniquely-themed season introduces new features and stories. "We’ll also be tuning all of our loot and progression systems, creating space for new metas and ways to play to emerge."