Marathon Beginner’s Guide: Core Mechanics, Tips and Progression

Introduction

Welcome to our Marathon Beginner's Guide, where we will outline the game's particularities and teach you everything you need to know to start your journey in Tau Ceti IV as an experienced Runner!

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• Factions
• Weapons
• Maps
• Upgrade System
• Leveling Overview
• Beginner Builds

What is Marathon?

Marathon is a multiplayer extraction shooter set on the dangerous and mysterious colony world of Tau Ceti IV. The planet is hostile, lawless, and filled with rival Runners, automated defenses, and remnants of a collapsed civilization.

Players take on the role of Runners; cybernetically enhanced mercenaries deployed onto the surface to scavenge valuable data, weapons, and resources. Each run is a high-stakes mission where you must explore contested zones, complete objectives, survive enemy encounters, and successfully extract with your loot before losing everything you’ve gathered.

Getting started in Marathon

Before diving into the hostile environments of Tau Ceti IV, it’s important to understand how Marathon introduces new players to its core systems. Your first hours are designed to ease you into the experience by teaching essential survival mechanics, familiarizing you with your role as a Runner, and helping you understand the risks and rewards of each deployment.

We will come back with more information in this section when the game launches, talking about the hub, the tutorial missions, and more!

Factions

In Marathon, factions form the core of long-term progression, acting as a voluntary, reputation-driven system that allows Runners to align with powerful organizations operating across Tau Ceti IV.

Instead of relying on mandatory wipes or forced progression resets found in many other extraction shooters, Marathon uses a faction-driven progression system. This allows you to choose which groups to align with, decide which contracts to take on, and shape your long-term progression through smart choices and successful extractions rather than seasonal resets.

There are a total of 6 factions in the game, and they are as follows:

• Arachne
• CyberAcme
• MIDA
• Nucaloric
• Sekiguchi
• Traxus

Each faction represents a distinct ideology, playstyle focus, and reward path, offering unique gear, upgrades, and long-term benefits. Your relationship with these factions evolves entirely through your actions in the field, making faction progression a strategic choice rather than an obligation.

Runner Classes

Marathon launches with six Runner Shells and the scavenger-only Rook frame.

• Recon
• Destroyer
• Triage
• Vandal
• Assassin
• Thief
• Rook

Each Runner Shell in Marathon fills a distinct role, shaping how you approach combat, movement, and extraction. While the list above gives you a quick overview, the real value comes from understanding how every class actually plays in real raid scenarios.

In the following sections, we’ll break down each Runner Shell in detail, covering their abilities, traits, strengths, and ideal use cases, so you can decide which class truly fits your playstyle and squad composition.

Destroyer (Shell 1)

Combat specialist built to take space and force fights. Great for leading pushes, holding angles with cover, and locking targets during pressure windows.

Assassin (Shell 2)

Shadow agent focused on smoke, stealth, and timing. Best when you control the fight pace and punish mistakes instead of brawling.

Recon (Shell 3)

Intel specialist that wins fights before they start. You scan, track, and force movement so your team can rotate and commit safely.

Vandal (Shell 4)

Combat anarchist built for speed, verticality, and disruption. If you manage heat well, you create chaos and break setups.

Thief (Shell 5)

Covert acquisitions focused on loot efficiency. You find value faster, steal value faster, and leave before the lobby collapses on you.

Triage (Shell 6)

Field medic that keeps fights alive. You stabilize mistakes, extend pushes, and turn resets into wins when your squad plays together.

Scavenger Frame: Rook

Scavenger mode frame. Solo only, drop into matches in progress, bring nothing, risk nothing, keep everything you extract. Built for low-stakes learning and recovery runs.

Weapons

In the closed alpha of Marathon, there are 16 confirmed weapons available to players. Based on early previews, developer insights, and multiple weapon overviews, the full launch arsenal is currently estimated to land somewhere between 26 and 28 weapons, spread across 8 distinct weapon categories.

As with any pre-release build, weapon names, stats, and total counts are still subject to change before launch.

Weapon Rarity

Weapon rarity plays a major role in both power and risk. Rarity influences how effective a gun feels in combat, how many perks or mod slots it can roll with, and how much overall value you’re bringing into a run.

Higher rarity weapons often provide stronger performance and greater build flexibility, but they also significantly increase your loadout value. This means dying with a high-tier kit carries heavier consequences. Below you find a list with the confirmed weapon rarities in-game:

• Gray (Standard): basic weapons to get you started, functional with no extras.
• Green (Enhanced): small upgrades, sometimes a single attachment or minor stat bump.
• Blue (Deluxe): multiple attachments and noticeable performance improvements.
• Purple (Superior): significant advantages like improved recoil and faster reload feel.
• Gold (Prestige): top tier, high value weapons that can feel game changing and are hardest to extract with.

Maps

Before every run in Marathon, the first major decision you make is where to deploy. This choice matters more than it might seem, as each map comes with its own layout, environmental threats, enemy density, and potential loot value.

Deployment areas differ in how contested they are, the types of objectives you’ll encounter, and how difficult extraction can be. Some locations favor careful scavenging and route planning, while others naturally attract more PvP encounters and higher-risk engagements. Map availability rotates over time, encouraging players to adapt their strategies and learn multiple environments rather than relying on a single safe option. We will now talk about all the confirmed maps in-game:

Perimeter

A wide-open vista of Tau Ceti IV, Perimeter explores the outer reaches of human settlement. While details remain scarce, the map’s design suggests a focus on extended firefights. Think of it as the untamed sibling of Dire Marsh, likely retaining its blend of player-versus-player action while introducing the added peril of AI encounters across its desolate expanse.

Dire Marsh

Dire Marsh is one of the decently sized maps in the Marathon map roster. This was one of the maps revealed by Bungie during the gameplay overview trailer. Dire Marsh is located in a dense marshland environment on Tau Ceti IV. While I call it decent in size, it’s still one of the larger maps in the game so far. And to fit everyone, 18 players can enter at once.

Outpost

Outpost, Marathon’s third confirmed map, looks set to be the proving ground for its endgame. Reports suggest a tougher challenge, demanding patience and skill. Expect unrelenting enemy waves: think UESC Recruits, maybe even P’fhor Fighters attacking from every direction.

UESC Marathon

Prepare to face the ultimate test: the iconic UESC Marathon ship itself. This fourth map isn’t just another arena; it’s a direct homage to the legendary original Marathon trilogy, meticulously crafted as a high-level challenge for those who have truly mastered the game’s intricate mechanics. Destiny 2 veterans will find a familiar thrill in its Raid-like structure. Players will steer through enemy-infested chambers, each culminating in a formidable mini-boss guarding a crucial key.

Cryo Archive

The Marathon ship, also known as the Cryo Archive, is by far the most dangerous zone in Marathon. The Cryo Archive is locked at launch, giving you plenty of time to acquire powerful gear and adjust your builds to prepare for the endgame content. Don't expect to clear the Cryo Archive in a single day, as there are raid-like security measures to stop you in your tracks.

Upgrade System

Sadly, we don't have information on the Upgrade System in Marathon yet, but we will come back with more information in this section on launch.

Leveling Overview

Sadly, we don't have information on leveling in Marathon, other than the maximum level with be 50. We will come back with more information in this section on launch.

Beginner Builds

Sadly, we don't have information on specific builds in Marathon. We will come back with more information in this section on launch.

Conclusion

Marathon blends high-stakes PvPvE gameplay with deep progression systems that reward smart decision-making, mechanical skill, and adaptability. Whether you’re pushing contested areas against other Runners, avoiding automated defenses, or carefully managing your inventory to maximize what you extract, every choice has meaningful consequences.

From your very first successful extraction to dozens of runs later, Marathon constantly challenges you to improve. There’s always a new route to learn, a weapon or build to master, or a risky decision that can turn a quiet run into a memorable story on the surface of Tau Ceti IV.

Marathon Beginner Guide FAQs

Browse our FAQs for answers to common questions about Marathon.

Is Marathon easy?

Marathon is not an easy game. It blends PvPvE combat, fast movement, and extraction-based risk where every decision matters. New players may find the early hours challenging, especially when facing experienced Runners, but improvement comes quickly as you learn maps, systems, and combat flow.

What should you do when you first start in Marathon?

Begin with lower-risk loadouts and focus on learning the basics rather than chasing high-value loot. Spend your early runs exploring deployment zones, understanding extraction points, and getting comfortable with movement and gunplay.

Is combat in Marathon difficult?

Combat in Marathon can be intense and unforgiving. Encounters often involve a mix of AI threats and real players, demanding smart positioning, awareness, and quick decision-making. Success comes from knowing when to fight, when to reposition, and when to extract rather than pushing every engagement.

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