Bungie launched Marathon Update 1.1.5 on July 21, adding the experimental Vault Breaker PvE mode and giving players a way to tackle the Cryo Archive map without competing extraction crews hunting them down.
The new mode had an immediate effect on Marathon’s Steam activity. SteamDB’s player charts recorded 14,809 concurrent players shortly after the update went live. That figure was around three times Marathon’s activity at similar points during the previous week, and it marked the game’s strongest concurrent showing since its player numbers declined after the June free weekend.
Vault Breaker changes the usual extraction formula. Players can enter alone, as a duo, or with a full crew and work through the hazards and puzzles of Cryo Archive. Gear collected during a run does not leave the mode with them. Instead, players are chasing Vault Data, which can fund permanent upgrades to their starting Vault Breaker kit or purchase equipment for use in standard runs.
That structure gives the mode a roguelite feel while keeping Bungie’s shooting at the center. Each run is less about escaping with a growing pile of equipment and more about improving the tools available for the next attempt.
Update 1.1.5 also adds a new option for players who fully level their Cradle. The Cradle Evolution system resets its progress in exchange for a higher energy limit, allowing players to equip more Cradle upgrades over time.
Bungie also added voice reporting and moderation systems to address toxic in-game chat. Vault Breaker will remain available for a two-week period, giving the studio time to see whether a PvE-focused activity can keep players around beyond the initial rush.
The early player response gives Marathon a welcome boost, but the longer test will be whether those players continue returning after they have had time to work through the new mode. Bungie’s willingness to try a different structure could give the game more room to grow, provided Vault Breaker offers enough reasons to keep running it.
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Marathon
Developed by Bungie
A PvP-focused extraction shooter set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, Marathon will see players inhabit the bodies of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries who have been designed to survive the planet’s harsh environments and explore the lost colony that once inhabited Tau Ceti’s surface. Players will engage solo or in crews of three, searching for mysterious alien artifacts, as well as for valuable loot and new weapons and gear that they can add to their collection.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Multiplayer, Battle Royale
- Publisher: Bungie
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Age Rating:
GRAC 15+
