Marathon Season 2: Nightfall launches June 2 with the new Night Marsh zone, The Cradle customization system, and the game's first seasonal reset. Learn more about Bungie's upcoming Season 2 update and end-of-season changes for Season 1.
Marathon Season 2: Nightfall Launches June 2
Adds Night Marsh, A Runner Shell, and The Cradle
Marathon Season 2: Nightfall launches June 2, 2026, as Bungie announced in an article posted on X (formerly Twitter) on May 14, teasing a new zone, a new customization system, and a seasonal reset for the extraction shooter. Full reveals for the update are planned for the week of May 25.
Bungie said Season 2 will add the new Night Marsh zone, a new area on Tau Ceti IV, alongside a new Runner shell, new weapons, faster faction progression, and several quality-of-life updates based on player feedback. The update will also introduce The Cradle, a customization system that lets players modify their Runner shell's statistical strengths and weaknesses.
It is also confirmed that players will receive CyberAcme Sponsored Kits in Season 2 based on the highest Runner Level they reached during Season 1. The reward packages can be claimed through Marathon's Codex once the new season begins.
⚫︎ Runner Level 10: Enhanced CyberAcme Sponsored Kit
⚫︎ Runner Level 25: Enhanced CyberAcme Sponsored Kit
⚫︎ Runner Level 50: Deluxe CyberAcme Sponsored Kit
⚫︎ Runner Level 75: Superior CyberAcme Sponsored Kit
The studio noted that the rewards are additive, meaning players who reach Level 75 will receive all four Sponsored Kits.
Seasonal Reset Will Give Players a Fresh Start
Meanwhile, Marathon will undergo its first seasonal reset when Nightfall begins on June 2. Bungie said the reset is intended to give players "a clean slate and equal footing" at the start of the new season and allow the community to discover new loot and progression paths together.
The following will reset when Season 2 begins:
⚫︎ Runner Level
⚫︎ Ranked Level
⚫︎ Faction Level and Upgrades
⚫︎ Credits and other currencies, except LUX and SILK
⚫︎ All items in player inventories and Vaults
⚫︎ Purchases unlocked through Schemas
⚫︎ Messages, rewards, and returned items in the Mailbox
⚫︎ Priority Contracts, except the first contract for each faction
⚫︎ Gear-granting seasonal Codex entries tied to Runner Level and Ranked progression
The following will carry over into Season 2:
⚫︎ Cosmetics and weapons unlocked during Season 1
⚫︎ Non-seasonal Codex progression and challenge progress
⚫︎ Faction unlocks and initial Priority Contract completion
⚫︎ LUX and SILK balances
⚫︎ Rewards Pass progress
Bungie also reminded players to claim gear and equipment reward packages from factions and the Codex before the reset begins. Cosmetic rewards earned during Season 1 will automatically carry over into Season 2.
Ranked progression will also reset at the start of Season 2, giving players another chance to climb the ladder and earn new cosmetic and other rewards. Once Ranked ends, players will be able to claim emblems, titles, backgrounds, and weapon styles based on the highest rank they achieved during Season 1 through the Codex.
Players will only receive the emblem from the highest-ranked tier they reached during the season. For example, players who reach Diamond I will only receive the Diamond Runner Emblem, rather than lower-tier emblems such as Bronze or Silver. Ranked titles can also only be used for one additional season unless players earn them again, though all other Ranked rewards are permanent.
Before Nightfall
Several end-of-season updates will also arrive with Update 1.0.9, which launches next Tuesday before Nightfall arrives. The patch is intended to increase rewards and make runs more "lucrative and exciting" during the final weeks of Season 1.
Wardens, powerful AI enemies found across Tau Ceti IV, will now always drop locked room keys for the remainder of the season. Events such as Intercept, Lockdown, Convoy, Anomaly, and Warden spawns will also appear in every run. United Earth Space Council (UESC) activity will additionally increase across the planet, including new Warden encounters, increased aerial activity through dropship flyovers and crash sites, and the deployment of a new threat in Dire Marsh to help shut down Runner activity.
Cryo Archive, which is Marathon’s high-level endgame zone, was previously only available from Thursday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET to Sunday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET each week. Following the latest announcement, however, the mode will now be accessible daily from May 21 through the end of the season on June 2. Players will also receive one free Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit each day during this period.
A special Ranked version of the mode is scheduled from May 24 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET to May 28 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET as the final Ranked event for Season 1. It will require Runner Level 25, a 3,000 loadout requirement for low stakes, and a 10,000 loadout requirement for high stakes.
Additional balance changes in Update 1.0.9 include increased Faction experience gains, buffs to Rook's (runner shell) Signal Mask, and adjustments to Key Templates (used to create keys to access valuable loot rooms). For the rest of Season 1, Templates will become "Compromised" instead of "Fragile," which Bungie said will prevent keys from being destroyed during matches. Deluxe keys will also have a chance to drop from wall safes after the update.
Marathon is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Bungie first revealed Season 2: Nightfall in March 2026, teasing a nighttime version of Dire Marsh where players would survive against increased UESC forces and other unknown threats. The update is part of the game's post-launch roadmap, which includes upcoming seasonal updates planned through November. To stay up-to-date on the game, check out our article below.
Source:
Season 2 Begins June 2
