Summary
- Marathon’s second season begins on June 2; players can try the new features for themselves during Marathon Open Play Week from June 2-9.
- Night Marsh is a new nighttime version of the Dire Marsh map, with darkness-infused danger, new enemies to contend with, new loot to uncover, and more.
- Marathon developers offer tips on how to survive the darkness and thrive during Season 2.
- Marathon is available now via the Microsoft Store on Xbox Series X|S.
A new season is coming to Marathon and things are getting… darker on Tau Ceti IV. With the June 2 launch of Season 2, the Marathon team is pushing the survival extraction adventure into new territory, with features like a new Runner shell, new weapons, and a new map: Night Marsh. Players can try out all the new features with the Marathon Open Play Week, running from June 2-9, and during Open Play Week, any progress players make will be carried over if you purchase the game in Season 2.
Marathon vets already know about Dire Marsh’s reputation as a map that can make or break a run. Full of long sight lines and points of interest that tend to attract Runners (and intense firefights), Dire Marsh in broad daylight is already equally filled with opportunity and danger. Night Marsh, as the name implies, is a nighttime version of the Dire Marsh zone, where the lights have been turned down and the tension has been dialed up to eleven.
The first thing you’ll notice during a run in Night Marsh is… all the things you don’t see. Not only is the facility lighting that you may be used to dimmed down, there are swaths of pure pitch blackness you’ll need to contend with, whether you’re creeping through the tunnels underground, or trying to keep your footsteps to a minimum in the darker sections above ground.
The darkness isn’t your friend during Season 2, and even less friendly are the new threats that you’ll find in Night Marsh. The UESC has stepped up its presence as part of a desperate attempt to protect something invaluable on the previously unreachable top floor of Complex. In addition, new enemies will stalk the path of Runners navigating the darkness, a foe they’ve never encountered before.
Luckily Runners are resourceful and they’ll have new tools to combat the encroaching darkness when Season 2 kicks off, including flashlights, as well as signal flares, vector grenades and rounds that light up and can ping nearby enemies, and new Darksight scopes that highlight the nearby environment after aiming down sights.
Night Marsh runs will introduce a new type of challenge for players but rest assured the rewards will be worth it; the map will include great loot that will reward your bravery and that you won’t find anywhere else. To help prepare you, the Marathon developers have a few tips on how best to find success in the shadows of Season 2, without feeling like you’re simply fumbling in the dark:
Well-lit areas aren’t necessarily safer. Enemies in the dark can see you, but you can’t see them. While your attached flashlight is a great tool for finding your way, it can also be a beacon for enemies you can’t necessarily see. Use it sparingly and, as always, keep things quiet.
Using tools that illuminate an area in choke points can deter enemies from entering. Sometimes the best fights are the ones that never start. If you want to discourage enemies from approaching, a well-placed Vector Grenade alongside a crew member or two carefully aiming down sights, can be the difference maker.
Getting revealed makes you the brightest thing on the screen, especially in open spaces. Be ready to take fire from multiple places if your location is exposed. In other words, if you’re worried that you’re surrounded by enemies at a POI, let that paranoia work for you, not against you.
Looking for more tips on how to make a good run great in Marathon (or simply how to make it to the extraction point alive)? Check out our previous Xbox Wire article: 10 Tips To Help You Survive Your First Runs in Marathon.
For more on Season 2, check out our full rundown from the Marathon developers.
Marathon Deluxe Edition
Bungie
$59.99
$41.99
Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and hazardous environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, time to kill is low, and preparation is rewarded.
Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run.
Purchase to receive additional bonuses:
1x Premium Rewards Pass Voucher
200 SILK Rewards Pass Tokens
Weapon Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Misriah 2442 Pump Shotgun Style]
Weapon Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Overrun AR Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Vandal Shell Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Destroyer Shell Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Assassin Shell Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Thief Shell Style]
Hard drive storage requirements are subject to change. Requires broadband internet.
Access requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately).
Marathon may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them.
Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time.
Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla.
© 2026 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Marathon, the Marathon Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Bungie, Inc.
Marathon
Bungie
$39.99
$27.99
Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and unpredictable environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, supplies are finite, and preparation is rewarded.
Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run.
A GRAVEYARD OF POSSIBILITIES
Trespass across deserted research facilities, rugged landscapes, and security outposts holding the remnants of a vanished expedition, yours to salvage. Tau Ceti threatens death at every turn with unique enemies, dynamic events, and environmental hazards. Each zone escalates in difficulty, preparing you for the UESC Marathon locked in the heavens.
POWERFUL. CONFIGURABLE. EXPENDABLE.
Six equippable Runner shells offer diverse playstyle foundations to build upon, like Destroyer, Recon, and Thief. Scavenge an arsenal of moddable weapons, body implants, and core system upgrades to craft countless builds. Strategize as a crew each run to form comps that maximize your combined strengths, shaping the way you approach fights and objectives.
ENEMIES EVERYWHERE
Face the unknown as a crew of two or three, or alone in solo lobbies. Or sneak into in-progress crew lobbies as Rook, a lone scavenger with no starting gear and nothing to lose. Forge uneasy alliances with rival Runners in prox chat to defeat mutual foes, but remember your new allies might revert to enemies just as quickly. Be merciless in combat: A lone survivor can reboot their crew, even from death.
Compete in Ranked mode to put your skills to the test and prove you’re a top Runner on Tau Ceti.
INFLUENCE IS POWER
Liaise with six competing factions, each offering lucrative incentives to advance their foothold on Tau Ceti. Completing faction contracts grows your baseline power via season-long unlocks like Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, expanded vault space, and specialized wares on offer for spare loot.
DEFRAGMENT THE TRUTH
No one knows what happened a century ago when the Marathon expedition went dark. As a trespasser into UESC territory, you are uniquely positioned to piece the story together. Unearth the skeletons of Tau Ceti’s past as you run deeper into the colony.
DEATH HANGS ABOVE
Bring your endgame builds to Cryo Archive, the first deck of the UESC Marathon. Solve raid-like security measures to unseal frozen vaults and pillage the artifacts within. Every cramped corridor forces you into conflict with fully-geared enemy crews racing for the same prize. Breach the seventh vault to challenge an entity even the UESC fears.
Hard drive storage requirements are subject to change. Requires broadband internet.
Access requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately).
Marathon may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them.
Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time.
Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla.
© 2026 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Marathon, the Marathon Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Bungie, Inc.