Bungie's extraction shooter Marathon gets its second season on June 2, 2026, and this time the studio is pairing the launch with something it has never done before: a full free week, not just a weekend trial.
The timing makes this one of the more consequential moments in the game's short history. Season 2 drops with new content, a new runner, and an open door for curious players who never bought in at launch.
What's actually new in Season 2
The headline addition is Sentinel, a brand new defensive Runner Shell arriving with the season. Beyond that, players get access to a new dark map variant called Night Marsh, two new weapons, and a revamped stat system that changes how gear performance scales across loadouts. There are also new enemy types in the mix, with Runner zombies now appearing to attack players mid-run.
The season content itself is free for anyone who owns the game. This is not a paid battle pass situation. New maps, new runners, new weapons: all included at no extra cost, which is worth spelling out clearly given how many live-service games handle seasonal drops.
Sentinel Runner Shell, Season 2
The free week breakdown
For the duration of the free week, anyone can jump into Marathon without spending a cent. Here is what that access includes:
- All four maps, including the new Night Marsh variant
- All available gear
- All runners, including Sentinel
- Full progression that carries over to a paid purchase
The game still costs $40 if players want to keep their progress after the free week ends. The key here is that this is not a limited demo with stripped-down content. It is the full game, no restrictions, for seven days.
Any progress made during the free week carries over if you buy the game afterward. Nothing is lost when the trial period ends.
Why this moment matters for Bungie
Marathon has been running at roughly 10,000 to 11,000 concurrent players on PC in recent weeks. That baseline is what makes Season 2 so significant. If a new content drop combined with a free access window cannot push those numbers meaningfully higher, that tells a very specific story about where the game stands.
PC players outnumber console players approximately 2:1 in Marathon's current playerbase, which makes Steam numbers a reliable indicator of overall health. Console growth is not expected to move dramatically at this stage.
The season also lands in a complicated week for Bungie overall. Destiny 2 is receiving what many consider a standout update on June 9, just days after Marathon's Season 2 launch. A large portion of Marathon's existing playerbase came from Destiny, and the overlap means some players may split attention between both games during the same window.
Night Marsh map, Season 2
Looking further down the road
Bungie has publicly confirmed plans through Season 5, roughly a year out from now. Two experimental modes are also planned for later in the season: a PvP lite mode designed for players who find the current competitive format too punishing, and a PvE-focused concept that could open the game up to a wider audience. Both are worth watching, particularly the PvE experiment, since the high-pressure player-versus-player format has been one of the most common reasons cited by players who bounced off the game early.
For a full breakdown of everything arriving with the new season, the Marathon Season 2 guide has the complete picture. If you are jumping in for the free week and want to hit the ground running, the best weapons and loadouts guide is the place to start before your first drop.
