Everyone has their own opinion on why Bungie’s Marathon isn’t posting huge player numbers, but they (and Sony) can agree that changes are in order. And what better way than to go back to the PvE well, starting in Season 2: NIGHTFALL on June 2nd.
In a lengthy post about learnings and plans for the extraction shooter, Bungie revealed it will introduce two new modes. The first debuts at the season’s start and focuses on PvE with a “light” PvP touch. The second arrives in the middle/latter half and is PvE-only.
Less a pivot than “more novel ways to play,” the developer wants players to have more options. “This means new ways to play that accommodate different friend groups, moods, and time availability to allow you to experience the thrilling survival of Tau Ceti in the way that fits your needs.”
Of course, the modes will be available beyond Season 2, albeit in experimental form, and Bungie will also try out a PvP-only mode. And who knows? They could become “part of the core game loop or permanent new ways to play.” You can also expect the debut of Duos for all players, a new matchmaking system to “find better quality matches with more flex for higher-end players,” and the old Destiny classic: An increase in Vault size.
The team is still keeping plans for the future under wraps, but it confirmed a new zone leaning into “more alien elements and mind warping debuffs” alongside “New enemies from Tau Ceti and beyond, big and small alike.” You can also expect more battery-type weapons and new exfiltration methods that “create interesting tradeoffs between how much loot you carry versus how safe they are.”
As always, we’ll need to wait for more details, but Bungie is clearly committed to making Marathon work. Stay tuned for further updates, including Season 2’s full reveal on May 25th, and check out our review for the base game here.
