Marathon Season 2, titled Nightfall, launches on June 2, 2026 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 5pm UTC. Bungie is taking servers offline for maintenance before the update goes live, so expect a short window where you can't log in. Once it's back up, you're looking at a near-complete reset: Runner Level, Faction Levels, Faction Upgrades, Faction Contracts, Credits, and your entire inventory and vault all wipe to zero. Season 1 progress doesn't carry over. Plan accordingly.
Season 2 global launch times
After launch, Cryo Archive returns on June 11, giving you roughly a week to build faction rep and gear up before the Compiler boss becomes accessible again. Ranked mode comes back on June 14.
Everything in your vault resets at the start of Season 2. If you're sitting on rare gear from Season 1, there's no way to keep it. Use it before the cutoff or accept the wipe.
What is the new Sentinel Runner Shell?
Sentinel is Season 2's new Runner Shell, and it plays nothing like the existing options. The kit is built around area denial and slowing enemies down rather than raw aggression, which makes it a natural counter to rush-heavy squads and UESC forces that like to push hard.
Sentinel Shell ability breakdown
Here's the full ability breakdown:
- Defender System (Prime ability): A deployable device that intercepts incoming grenades and enemy projectiles. It has limited charges, so it won't run forever. Crewmates standing near it also get improved weapon handling, which makes it useful as a team anchor point.
- Snare Mine (Tactical ability): A throwable sticky mine with proximity detection. When triggered, it fires slowing goo projectiles at whatever set it off. Good for holding corridors or punishing players who try to push through chokepoints.
- Castle Doctrine (Trait 1): Taking explosive damage triggers increased damage resistance. When enemies are close, small arms weapons get faster ready and reload speeds. The combination rewards staying calm under pressure rather than retreating.
- Prey Tracker (Trait 2): Activates a short-range motion tracker on your HUD that reveals moving enemies nearby.
For a deeper look at how Sentinel fits into team compositions and compares to the existing roster, the Marathon Runner Shells guide covering every class, ability, and best team comp has the full breakdown.
Defender System's weapon handling bonus applies to your whole crew nearby, not just you. Positioning it before a firefight breaks out turns it into a passive team buff, not just a defensive tool.
What is Night Marsh and how does it work?
Season 2 introduces Dire Marsh (Night), a dark variant of the existing Dire Marsh map. Calling it a brand-new map is a stretch since the layout is largely the same, but the conditions change how you play it almost completely.
The whole map runs in near-total darkness. Every player gets a toggleable flashlight that helps you navigate but also broadcasts your position to anyone watching. Beyond the flashlight, several tools help you operate in the dark:
- Signal Flares for lighting areas
- Darksight Scopes for mapping the environment
- LIDAR-powered Vector Rounds and Vector Grenades for revealing enemy positions
Night Marsh darkness and flashlight
The Anomaly is also more active on Night Marsh, spawning monstrous combatants and triggering audiovisual hallucinations. Player count on the map is reduced compared to regular Dire Marsh, so direct Runner encounters are less frequent, but the AI threats compensate.
One new addition is access to the upper floor of Complex, a high-tier loot area locked behind encryption certificates dropped by UESC forces. You use those certs to hack Network Towers, which unlock gear stockpiles and exfil beacons.
After the first week of Season 2, Dire Marsh and Night Marsh will stop running simultaneously and instead rotate every 90 minutes. Most Dire Marsh Priority Contracts carry over to Night Marsh with some exceptions, and Night Marsh will have its own exclusive contracts.
What new weapons are coming in Season 2?
Two new close-range weapons arrive with Season 2, both leaning into aggressive short-distance play:
- KKV-9SD: A 1200 RPM SMG with an integrated suppressor. The fire rate is high enough that it shreds at close range, and it's compatible with the new Folding Stock mod.
- D54 Battle Pistol: A full-auto, burst-fire pistol with an integrated red-dot optic. The burst-fire full-auto combination sounds contradictory but it functions as a rapid burst weapon with built-in sights.
Weapon drop rates are being adjusted for Season 2. Weapons that were common in Season 1 may be significantly harder to find. Don't assume your Season 1 farming knowledge carries over directly.
KKV-9SD SMG Season 2 weapon
New weapon mod: Folding Stock
The Folding Stock mod introduces a direct tradeoff. Fold it to boost hip-fire accuracy at the cost of ADS performance. Close it to improve ADS and sacrifice the hip-fire advantage. Swapping between modes mid-run lets you adapt to range, which is particularly useful on the KKV-9SD.
New weapon chips
Three new weapon chips drop with Season 2:
- Brain Freeze: Precision downs and kills trigger a small Frost explosion around the target.
- Alarmist: After ADS-ing for a brief period, bullet impacts produce a proximity drone alert noise. Useful for disorienting enemies or confirming hits at range.
- Scrapyard: Enemies killed with this weapon have a chance to drop depleted healing items or standard materials.
For the current weapon meta and loadout recommendations heading into Season 2, check the Marathon best weapons and loadouts guide.
What is the Cradle system?
The Cradle replaces the old Faction Upgrade stat boosts entirely. Instead of unlocking stat improvements through faction progression, you now allocate points across six stat categories from a dedicated Cradle menu. Every Runner Shell pulls from the same Cradle, and you can redistribute points freely at any time.
The six categories and what they cover:
Cradle stat system menu
To earn more allocation points, you increase your Cradle Level by converting unwanted gear into Cradle XP. The batch selection feature added in Season 2 makes this process faster. Certain thresholds unlock additional benefits beyond the base stat increases, so there's a reason to push specific categories rather than spreading points evenly.
The Cradle resets at the end of every season along with everything else, so the goal each season is rebuilding toward your preferred stat distribution.
Since Cradle progression is shared across all Runner Shells, investing points in Recharge benefits every Shell you play. If you're switching between classes, prioritize stats that help all of them rather than optimising for one.
What other quality-of-life changes are in Season 2?
Beyond the headlining additions, Season 2 ships with several smaller but meaningful changes:
- Faction reputation is easier to earn, and faction upgrade material costs are reduced.
- Priority Contracts have fewer "complete in a single run" requirements, making them more approachable.
- Vault space increases to 512 slots at full upgrade, up from Season 1.
- Implants are being reworked so the focus is on the perk they provide rather than raw stats. Each Implant is now named after its perk and comes with a fixed stat array that scales with rarity.
- Duos queue is being added with a daily map rotation.
Is Season 2 worth jumping in fresh?
For anyone who bounced off Season 1 or held off on trying the game, Season 2 is a reasonable entry point. The reset means nobody walks in with a gear advantage, the Cradle system gives progression a clearer direction from day one, and Night Marsh adds a genuinely different play experience compared to what launched.
The Sentinel Shell fills a gap in the roster for players who prefer reactive, trap-based play over pure aggression. Whether it slots into the top tier or sits mid-table depends on how the meta settles, but the kit has enough distinct tools to carve out a niche.
For everything else you need heading into the new season, the full Marathon strategy guides collection covers Runner Shell tier lists, beginner tips, loadout recommendations, and more.