Bungie has finally started talking about what comes next for Marathon, and Season 2 is now officially on the calendar. Marathon Season 2, titled NIGHTFALL, begins on June 2, bringing the game’s first major seasonal reset alongside new content, a new zone, a new Runner shell, new weapons, and several quality-of-life updates based on player feedback. Bungie says more details will be revealed closer to launch, with a full Season 2 reveal planned for the week of May 25.
Marathon Season 2 Release Date
Marathon Season 2 begins on June 2. Bungie confirmed the date in its latest update, saying Season 2: NIGHTFALL will arrive as Season 1 comes to a close. The update also marks Marathon’s first seasonal reset, which is a major moment for the extraction shooter since players will be starting fresh under the game’s seasonal structure.
Marathon Season 2 Is Called NIGHTFALL
Season 2’s official title is NIGHTFALL, and Bungie is clearly setting up a darker shift for the next phase of Marathon. The studio says the UESC is growing tired of Runner activity across Tau Ceti, and players will begin seeing renewed security efforts as Season 1 ends, with more coming once NIGHTFALL begins.
New Night Marsh Zone Coming In Season 2
The biggest confirmed addition in Marathon Season 2 is the new Night Marsh zone. Bungie has not fully explained how Night Marsh will differ from existing locations yet, but the name strongly suggests a darker version or new take on the Dire Marsh experience. Bungie lists Night Marsh as one of the headline features arriving with Season 2.
New Runner Shell Arrives With Season 2
Marathon Season 2 will also introduce a new Runner shell. Bungie has not revealed the shell’s name, abilities, or playstyle yet, but this is one of the biggest gameplay additions confirmed for NIGHTFALL.
A new Runner shell could have a major impact on the meta, depending on whether it leans into aggression, survival, support, scouting, or extraction utility. Since Marathon’s shell system heavily shapes how players approach each run, this could be one of the main reasons players return at the start of Season 2.
New Weapons Are Coming In Marathon Season 2
Bungie also confirmed that Season 2 will add new weapons. Details are still being held back for the full reveal, so we do not yet know the weapon types, rarity, archetypes, or how they will fit into the current sandbox.
Still, new weapons are always important in an extraction shooter because they affect both PvP pressure and loot value. If Season 2 introduces standout weapons that become highly sought after, it could quickly reshape the early wipe economy and change what players prioritize during their runs.
The Cradle Is A New Runner Shell Customization System
One of the most interesting Season 2 additions is The Cradle, a new system that will let players customize their Runner shell stats. Bungie says this system is coming with NIGHTFALL, though the studio has not yet explained exactly how it works.
Faster Faction Progression Is Coming
Bungie says Marathon Season 2 will include faster faction progression. When Season 2 begins, faction level and upgrades will reset, although players will keep access to factions they previously unlocked, meaning they will not need to repeat Liaison Contracts.
Players will still have to rebuild progression, but faster faction progression could reduce some of the early-season grind and help players get back into meaningful upgrades sooner.
Marathon Season 2 Brings Quality-of-Life Updates
Bungie confirmed that several quality-of-life updates based on player feedback are coming in Season 2. The studio has not listed all of them yet, but this is an important part of the update because Season 1 has given Bungie its first real live-game window to see what players like, dislike, and want improved.
Quality-of-life improvements could matter just as much as new content for a live service game like Marathon. Extraction shooters live and die by how smooth the loop feels, from inventory management and faction progression to map flow, rewards, matchmaking, and post-run downtime.
Marathon’s First Seasonal Reset Explained
Season 2 will bring Marathon’s first-ever seasonal reset. Bungie says the goal is to put everyone on equal footing at the start of the new season, giving the community a clean slate to explore new content and figure out what is valuable again.
The reset will affect Runner Level, Ranked Level, faction level and upgrades, credits and other currencies outside of LUX and SILK, all items in inventory and Vault, purchases unlocked by Schemas, mailbox messages and rewards, Priority Contracts, and some gear-granting seasonal Codex entries.
That means players should spend the final stretch of Season 1 using their gear instead of hoarding it. If you have been saving strong loadouts for later, Bungie is clearly encouraging players to bring them out before the reset arrives.
What Players Keep After The Season 2 Reset
Not everything is going away when Season 2 begins. Bungie says players will keep cosmetics and weapons unlocked and redeemed during Season 1, Codex challenges and partial progress outside Runner and Ranked levels, faction unlocks, initial Priority Contract completion status for each faction, LUX and SILK balances, and Rewards Pass progress.
Marathon’s reset is mainly targeting gameplay progression and loot, not account identity or long-term cosmetic rewards. Players who earned styles, titles, emblems, and other cosmetics in Season 1 will still carry those forward into Season 2.
Ranked Rewards for Season 1
Once Ranked ends, players will be able to claim emblems, titles, and styles based on the highest rank they reached during Season 1. These rewards can be claimed through the Codex. Bungie also clarified that players only receive the emblem for their highest rank, while other rewards are additive.
Ranked Progress Will Reset In Season 2
Ranked players will also be starting over in Season 2. Bungie confirmed that the end of Season 1 marks the end of the current Ranked climb, with everyone’s current rank resetting when NIGHTFALL begins. Players will then have another chance to climb the ladder and earn new rewards in Season 2.
Season 1 Endgame Events Before NIGHTFALL
Before Season 2 launches, Bungie is making the end of Season 1 more chaotic and rewarding. Update 1.0.9 is designed to make runs more lucrative, with locked room keys guaranteed to drop from Wardens for the rest of the season. Map events such as Intercept, Lockdown, Warden spawns, Convoy, and Anomaly will also be guaranteed on each run.
Bungie is also increasing UESC activity across Tau Ceti IV. Wardens can appear at new points of interest in Perimeter, Dire Marsh, and Outpost, while UESC dropship flyovers and crash sites will become more common on Perimeter. Bungie also teased a new threat being deployed on Dire Marsh and Perimeter to shut down Runner activity.
Cryo Archive Gets Increased Availability Before Season 2
Bungie is giving more players a chance to run Cryo Archive before Season 1 ends. The map will be available every day from May 21 until the start of Season 2 on June 2. To make that easier, Bungie says players will receive a free Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit in their mailbox every day during that period.
Ranked Cryo Archive will also serve as the final challenge for the Season 1 Ranked queue. It will be available from May 24 at 10 AM PT until May 28 at 10 AM PT. Regular Cryo Archive will not be available at the same time as Ranked Cryo.
Sponsored Kits Will Reward Season 1 Progress
When Season 2 begins, Bungie will reward players with CyberAcme Sponsored Kits based on their final Runner Level in Season 1. Players can claim these kits in the Codex once NIGHTFALL starts.
The rewards are tied to Runner Level milestones at 10, 25, 50, and 75. Bungie says these rewards are additive, so a player who reaches Level 75 will be able to claim all four Sponsored Kits.
Before the new season begins, players can take advantage of boosted end-of-season rewards, guaranteed map events, increased UESC activity, daily Cryo Archive availability, Ranked Cryo Archive, and Sponsored Kit rewards based on Season 1 Runner Level.
