It seems as though, shortly after the launch of Marathon, Bungie realized that it would need to take player feedback seriously if it wanted the new extraction shooter to be successful and retain players. One bit of feedback that repeatedly came up was the need for more PvE-focused gameplay. Initially, Bungie addressed this by adding the C.A.R.R.I. Protocol, which encouraged players to work together. On June 23, however, Bungie announced a series of key dates relating to new content coming to Marathon in the coming months. There are a number of changes and updates coming, including the new Cradle Evolution System which introduces a new way to reset player accounts in exchange for specific benefits and cosmetics.

More importantly, Bungie is introducing Vault Breaker, a new PvE play style that allows players to work together instead of fighting against one another. Vault Breaker launches in a major mid-season update to Marathon on July 21 and will see players take on a series of challenging vaults. Players can enter the Cryo Archive—a notoriously difficult endgame map—to play Vault Breaker in a crew, duos, or solo, and each run through the vaults will see players get progressively stronger as they face off against more and more powerful enemies until they reach a "mysterious entity" in the last vault. Instead of the loot-focused extraction shooter gameplay loop of traditional Marathon runs, Vault Breaker sees players leave behind almost all of their loot when they exfiltrate, except for Vault Data, a new currency that can be found in the Cryo Archives. Vault Data will be used to purchase upgrades for both regular kit and the specialized Sponsored Kit that is required to enter the Cryo Archives. The full announcement details follow.

Marathon Development Team on XAs we move deeper into the new season, we want to share some important dates coming up for Marathon.

Mid-Season Begins July 21
First up, mid-season will start on July 21 and will include...

Introducing Vault Breaker
Marathon's experimental PVE mode: Vault Breaker. Explore Cryo Archive as a crew, duo, or solo player, taking on a progressively challenging series of vaults. Grow stronger across multiple matches with progression that's unique to Vault Breaker, and push towards the final vault and the mysterious entity within.

Vault Breaker requires a special Sponsored Kit to queue up, and any gear or items you find stay behind when you exfil. The exception to this is Vault Data. This new currency is found within vaults, and when extracted, can be exchanged for upgrades to your Vault Breaker Sponsored Kits as well as gear that can be used in other modes. This let's you experience Cryo Archive without flooding the economy with low-risk, high-power Cryo loot.

Cradle Evolution System
Mid-season also brings the first iteration of the Cradle Evolution system. Upon maxing out your Cradle, you'll now be able to reset back to zero to earn one additional maximum Energy point and unlock unique cosmetics, including multiple Runner shell styles. These cosmetics will be available later in the season, but if you unlock them ahead of time, you'll automatically receive them once they're available. With this change, Cradle progression speeds will also be increased.

More to Come!
Various other quality-of-life, tuning, and other changes, including the addition of player profile stats.

Season 3 Begins September 22
Looking further ahead, Season 3 will begin on September 22 and brings big changes to the early game experience, including a revamp of Perimeter to add major new areas, encounters, and gameplay. Season 3 also introduces a new Runner shell, new weapons and equipment, and lots of other content and surprises.

We'll share more details about mid-season, including a full rundown on Vault Breakers, and our Season 3 plans as we get closer to their live dates.