Bungie has released details on Marathon's ranked mode following Update 1.0.5, with the mode set to arrive on March 21. The new competitive playlist introduces a tier system unlike most extraction shooters, grounding progression entirely in the core loop of looting and extraction rather than kill counts or objective completion.
To enter ranked, players must select a zone, assemble a loadout meeting gear requirements, and purchase a Holotag that sets the score target. Ranked also disallows Sponsored Kits or Rooks, requiring players to build proper loadouts. The stakes are immediate; your rank score is determined by the credit value of items you exfil, though consumables, ammo, and items you brought into the zone don't count.
Players earn rank points for successful exfils with high-tiered loot and lose points for unsuccessful exfils. This creates risk-reward tension beyond combat alone; a successful firefight means nothing if you cannot extract. Climbing through tiers earns exclusive seasonal emblems and weapon skins, with the system progressing from Bronze through to Pinnacle.
The patch also addressed longstanding gameplay frustrations. Weapon mods can now be dragged and dropped on the inventory menu for easier vault management, while enemy gunfire no longer travels as far, reversing a recent over-tuning that had players hearing gunfights from across the map. Significant increases to vault item stack limits for consumables, ammo, salvage, and grenades have freed up storage space.
The Cryo Archive endgame map is now accessible to players at level 25 who have unlocked every faction. The frozen zone features close-quarters combat and raid-like puzzle solving in the derelict UESC Marathon ship's first deck, surrounded by cryopods, medical bays, and abandoned storage wings. Three new implant perks can only be looted from Cryo Archive: Covert Recovery for faster self-repair in smoke, Freeloader for ability energy from knife kills, and Panic Response for temporary Cardio Kick when healing at low health.
Bungie is also testing a much-requested duos mode for Marathon, which could give players more gameplay flexibility. All updates are available now on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.