Today, Bungie confirmed that Marathon will feature free seasonal updates following its launch on March 5, 2026, and that each one will typically last around three months.
Each Marathon season will add new weapons, gear, mods, zones, and events for all players without requiring paid DLC or expansions, with earned and paid cosmetics, achievements, titles, and Codex progression will persist across seasons. Not everything carries over, as players will lose gear, player level, contract progression, and faction progression at the end of each season.
Season 1 will begin with “Death is the First Step,” launching alongside the game and featuring three initial zones, including the Outpost, which unlocks the day after launch. The Cryo Archive, an end-game zone with puzzles and vaults, is also expected shortly after launch.
Season 2 will be called “Nightfall,” and is currently scheduled to begin approximately three months after launch. This season will add:
- New Runner Shell: A seventh playable character codenamed Sentinel.
- Environmental Changes: A nighttime version of the Dire Marsh map with increased security and new threats.
- The Cradle System: A new feature allowing players greater autonomy over their Runner shell’s statistical strengths and weaknesses.
A Ranked Mode is also planned for release in the second half of March 2026, offering exclusive loot rewards that have yet to be determined. Marathon recently just ended its Server Slam event, which let players test out the game before launch.
The game is set to release on March 5, 2026, for Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with full cross-play and cross-save, proximity chat, and more, at a starting price of $39.99. To celebrate the launch, all Destiny 2 players can claim themed rewards in the Eververse Store, with ornaments available for those who pre-order; pre-orders and Collector’s Edition are also available now.
