Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Bungie Kicks Off Marathon Season 2 With Weeklong Free Play to Reset Progress

The studio is betting a free week plus major gameplay and progression changes will help reverse Marathon's early player decline.

Overview

  • Season 2 launches on June 2 with an Open Play week running through June 9 that makes the full game free on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and preserves any progress into the new season.
  • The update adds the Sentinel Runner shell, a defensive class whose Defender System destroys incoming grenades and missiles and whose tactical ability deploys a snare mine to immobilise enemies.
  • A 'Night' variant of the Dire Marsh map introduces darker, survival‑horror encounters and new gear such as flashlights, darksight scopes, vector rounds and flares to help players fight in low light.
  • Marathon overhauls progression with The Cradle, which uses WEAVEworms and a Matter Converter to turn unwanted loot into progression experience, and the season expands Duos, returns Cryo Archive on June 11 and brings Ranked play on June 14.
  • The push follows Marathon's post‑launch drop from Steam's top 50 and Bungie's decision to end active Destiny 2 development after June 9, a shift that has prompted staff reallocation and raises reputational and workforce risks if Marathon fails to regain players.