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A Runner’s guide to Tau Ceti IV

Whether you’re stepping into Marathon for the first time or returning to Tau Ceti IV, intel is crucial to your survival. Understanding progression, factions and loot priorities will help you make smarter calls planetside and get the most out of every run.

Seasonal power

You ever wonder why we're here?

Every run in Marathon contributes to your seasonal progression. Extracted gear, completed faction contracts and successful runs all feed into upgrades that carry forward throughout the season.

These include access to Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, expanded vault space and more.

The goal of Marathon isn’t just surviving one run, it’s building power and expanding your options. The more consistent your extractions, the more formidable your builds become and the better prepared you’ll be for endgame.

What are factions and contracts?

Get in. Get out. Get paid.

Six factions compete for influence across Tau Ceti IV. Each one offers unique upgrades, rewards and implants tied to their focus areas, and you’re encouraged to work with all of them as you progress.

Completing a contract for a faction increases your standing with them and unlocks new seasonal benefits. Before each run, accept a contract from the contracts screen within the factions menu and activate it with the X button. Once you’re prepared, make sure you’re dropping into the right zone (indicated by the contract icon by the zone’s name) and get to work.

Note that some contracts are listed as multi-zone – meaning they can be completed on any map.

CyberAcme

CyberAcme is the industry leader in operational systems development, data analysis, and cybersecurity. Most modern Runner shells – including yours – include a version of CyAc’s ONI technology.

Ideal for players focused on inventory management, economy efficiency and long-term sustainability, CyAc upgrades unlock more vault space, better heat management tools, increased credit bonuses and more.

NuCaloric

Humanitarian and philanthropic, NuCaloric are legal stakeholders in the Marathon expedition, and now seek to understand where it all went wrong, and if anything can be salvaged.

Ideal for players focused on healing, cleansing and survivability, NuCaloric upgrades unlock consumables, implants and access to armory gear that supports longer, safer runs.

Traxus

The leading industrial technology and mining conglomerate of Sol, Traxus is immensely influential, making use of extra-legal entities – Runners – to achieve their goals on Tau Ceti IV.

Ideal for players specializing in machine guns, assault rifles and pistols, Traxus upgrades unlock weapon chip mods and expanded access to high-impact armory gear.

MIDA

A radical, anti-corporate fringe group seeking to disrupt UESC influence and destabilize the powers competing over Tau Ceti IV.

Ideal for players who favor grenades, utility deployables, and anti-UESC tactics, MIDA upgrades unlock equipment like grenades, gadgets and tools that support aggressive approaches.

Arachne

A mysterious death cult focused on pushing Runner shells to their limits, Arachne devote themselves to providing ‘the gift of silence’ through violent means.

Ideal for players specializing in precision rifles, sniper rifles, railguns and knife combat, Arachne upgrades unlock high-damage armory weapons, boosts to melee attacks and enhancements geared toward eliminating rival Runners.

Sekiguchi

A biotech corporation dedicated to the imagination and creation of the future. They work with Runners to further their bioengineering research and development.

Ideal for players invested in Runner cores, buildcrafting and Cradle XP progression, Sekiguchi upgrades unlock runner-specific cores, enhancements to your prime and tactical abilities’ recovery and more.

Marathon’s Runner shells

Bio-printed bodies you’ll inhabit on your runs, each Runner shell is designed to suit a distinct gameplay archetype. Choose one that matches your instincts then customize it with swappable cores and implants that suit your playstyle.

Marathon’s Runner shells

Bio-printed bodies you’ll inhabit on your runs, each Runner shell is designed to suit a distinct gameplay archetype. Choose one that matches your instincts then customize it with swappable cores and implants that suit your playstyle

Marathon - Destroyer Shell Cinematic Trailer | PS5 & PC Games

Destroyer

The team’s tank. Destroyer shells are aggressive, relentless, and built to charge headfirst into combat. Equipped with modified Mjolnir armor, thrusters, and a Riot Barricade, they draw fire and hold the front line.

Marathon - Assassin Shell Cinematic Trailer | PS5 & PC Games

Assassin

Silent, precise and elusive, Assassin shells thrive in the shadows. With a synthetic smokescreen and invisibility shroud, they maneuver unseen, strike and exfil before the enemy knows what hit them. 

Recon

Tactical disruptors, Recon shells expose hidden threats with echo pulses, track targets using holographic footstep trails, and lock down enemy movement with energy-sapping drones.

Vandal

The agile attackers, Vandal shells are built for speed. With a unique double jump ability and extended slide, they chain advanced movement with hit-and-run tactics to get in, break the enemy line, and get out.

Thief

The team’s loot goblin. Thief shells are designed for high-risk scavenging: spotting gear, knocking loot out of foes, and swinging through the battlefield with a high-mobility grappling hook.

Triage

The combat medic. Triage shells provide support for allies: reviving squadmates with their onboard reboot ability and using med-drones to keep your team in the fight through shared consumable benefits.

Marathon - Rook Cinematic Trailer | PS5 & PC Games

Rook

The solo scavenger experience, Rooks drop into live matches alone with nothing to lose. Their Tactical Ability lets them go undetected by UESC AI enemies, sweeping the battlefield for loot and extracting with their haul.

Loot smarter, not harder

What to pick up on your runs

Colors and rarity

Rarity indicators generally signal the overall strength and value of an item. In ascending order, rarities include: standard (grey), enhanced (green), deluxe (blue), superior (purple), and prestige (gold) items.

You’ll likely rely on standard to deluxe gear in your first few hours planetside, but higher-tier items become more common as you progress to more dangerous zones, and take on tougher contracts. While rarity doesn’t guarantee synergy with your current build, it’s still a good indicator of an item’s value. 

Consumables

The consumable economy can be expensive, especially early on. Shield charges (for shields) and patch kits (for health) are vital for surviving UESC forces and rival Runners. Bring a few on every run, and check downed enemies for any they didn’t use in time.

Equipment

Equipment adds tactical options in the field, and matching your equipment to the situation is essential. For example, Heat grenades are effective against rival Runners, as they cause them to overheat, reducing their mobility. Or if you prefer to play quietly, Smoke grenades can conceal you from UESC forces, even during exfil.

Ammo

Guns are only good for as long as you can fire them. From your inventory screen, you can identify a weapon’s ammo type by the icon displayed in the lower-right corner of the weapon tile. Make sure you’re bringing and looting the right ammo, and if you run completely dry, don’t forget that your knife is highly effective in close quarters.

Salvage

Salvage items are exchanged for faction upgrades or armory items. Remember, you can tag the upgrades you’re pursuing with the R3 button in a faction’s unlock tree. This adds an icon to these items when looting them in the field, helping you quickly identify the ones you should extract. Early on, you’ll want ‘unstable’ salvage, used to unlock valuable upgrades from different factions.

Weapons

Weapons are one of the most valuable pieces of loot you can extract. Different weapon types support different playstyles, from close-range aggression to precision at distance – and the right weapon can completely change how a run unfolds.

Even grey weapons can become valuable, high-rarity powerhouses by adding mods, so they can be worth hanging onto for the sake of building them up throughout a run.

Mods

A weapon’s rarity and efficacy is determined by its mods. Adding higher-rarity mods directly increases a weapon’s tier, meaning a standard weapon can become enhanced, deluxe, superior, or even prestige depending on the mods attached to it.

You can see whether a mod is compatible with your current weapon by checking the symbol in the bottom-left of the mod’s image. If you see an X, the mod isn’t compatible with any currently equipped weapon, but an arrow pointing left means that it is.

Even if an attachment isn’t usable immediately, higher-rarity mods may be worth extracting for use on future builds.

Implants shields and cores

Implants add unique perks that can dramatically change how your Runner performs in the field, alongside boosts and reductions to base stats. Hover over an implant in your inventory to check its effects.

Every Runner has one shield slot. Higher rarity shields add significant defense and can even include bonus abilities like providing brief invisibility once depleted.

Cores upgrade your Runner’s unique abilities. Like implants, it’s worth filling the slots while you’re in the field, even if they’re not perfect, as they may come in useful for buildcrafting later.

Returning Runners

If your first runs felt overwhelming

Death is just the beginning

Tau Ceti IV is designed to be high-risk, but every run builds experience. Learning the zones, mastering extraction routes, and refining your Runners’ abilities all take time. But one of the many benefits of being functionally immortal, is that there’s always another chance at victory.

Sponsored Kits

Looking for a fast way back into the action?  Grab a free sponsored kit from the armory. They’re a reliable way to get back in the field, experiment with different gear, and keep your runs going. Even a standard weapon can down a rival Runner if you catch them off guard, and that can quickly rebuild a competitive inventory.

Go risk-free with Rook

As a zero-risk, solo scavenger, Rook drops in with nothing to lose. Let other Runners engage, move carefully through the map, and extract with gear ready to use with your preferred shell. Just note that Rook cannot complete contracts, so you’ll need to use other shells to progress with your factions.

Buy Marathon on PS5, PC and XBOX

PS5 consoles
PC
XBOX Series consoles

Editions:

Standard Edition
  • Marathon
  • 6 Runner Shells
Deluxe Edition
  • Marathon
  • 6 Runner Shells
  • 1x Premium Rewards Pass Voucher
  • 200 SILK Rewards Pass Tokens
  • Weapon Cosmetics
  • Runner Cosmetics
Deluxe Upgrade
  • 1x Premium Rewards Pass Voucher
  • 200 SILK Rewards Pass Tokens
  • Weapon Cosmetics
  • Runner Cosmetics

Play Marathon on PC

Go up against the rival Runners as you scavenge the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV in a survival extraction shooter from veteran developer Bungie - available to play on PC via Steam.

Purchase on Steam

Play Marathon on XBOX

Go up against the rival Runners as you scavenge the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV in a survival extraction shooter from veteran developer Bungie - available to play on XBOX Series S and X.

Purchase on Microsoft Store

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