A NOTE FROM DEL CHAFE III, MARATHON GAME DIRECTOR
Hey everyone, Del here. Thanks for all the questions following the announcement earlier this week. We’ve heard one question repeatedly: “What will we actually be able to play during the Nightfall Refresh in October?” It’s a fair question, so let’s get into what the team has planned and why.
At its core, the Nightfall Refresh gives everyone an opportunity to start again from the same place and experience Marathon’s progression as it was intended, alongside the improvements we’ve made. It also gives us an opportunity to see how that progression experience holds up, where it feels rewarding, where friction remains, and what we need to improve as we build toward the larger updates ahead.
We’ll also have a NuCaloric Reward Pass available at no additional cost to everyone who owns Marathon. It won’t be time-limited, so you can complete it at your own pace. The team has taken the Shell cosmetics in some unexpected directions, and I’m excited about how they’ve come together.
We’ve spent the past few months experimenting offering different ways for you to play Marathon, and the Nightfall Refresh gives us an opportunity to bring several of those experiences back. Here’s the plan for what you’ll be able to play. Keep letting us know what’s working, what isn’t, and what you’d like to see more of as we continue improving these modes and how we schedule them.
Sponsored Queues (Sponsored Kit-only Extraction) will return every weekend from Thursday through Monday throughout the Nightfall Refresh, following the same schedule as Cryo Archive. Sponsored Perimeter will be available the first weekend, followed by Sponsored Marsh in Week 2 and Sponsored Night Marsh in Week 3. That three-week rotation will repeat until Symbiosis launches, with regular Extraction remaining available in each zone. We’ve heard that Sponsored Queues offer a more level playing field and make it easy to jump into a match, so we want to provide a clear and consistent schedule for when you can play them.
We’re building toward our first permanent PvE experience with Symbiosis in December, but we know PvE players want ways to take on the dangers of Tau Ceti IV right now. With that in mind, Vault Breaker will return from weeks 3 through 5. Then, starting in week 6, Sponsored Survival (sponsored kit PvE with Rooks) will rotate weekly through Perimeter, Day Marsh, Night Marsh, and Outpost. These modes also continue to give us valuable insight into how players engage with PvE-focused experiences in Marathon.
Cryo Archive will run every week starting Thursday October 15th and we're extending its availability window by 24 hours each week! Now Cryo Archive will be available all day Sunday as well because what better way to end a weekend than with an epic Cryo run?
Aside from queues, we'll be rolling out baseline Enhanced Sponsored Kits in Week 5 through Symbiosis launch. We heard significant feedback that players like having the gear floor raised after a few weeks. CARRI will also return starting in week 3.
We also want to be upfront about something we know matters to many of you. Ranked will not be available during the Nightfall Refresh. We know that will be disappointing, especially for those of you who have invested time in the competitive experience.
We’ve learned a lot from Ranked so far, and the team has ideas for how we can make it more exciting and rewarding. Those changes won’t be ready for October. Rather than bring Ranked back in its current form, we’re going to use this time to continue working on where we want to take the experience. We’ll share more as those plans take shape.
We’ve included the October calendar below so you can see what’s scheduled to be available each week. The schedule may shift as we go based on what we’re seeing in the game or if issues come up, but we’ll let you know if anything changes. As always, we’ll be listening to your feedback and looking closely at how you play.
- Del
