Marathon’s Big Update: Guaranteed Loot Keys, 24/7 Raid Access, and Season 2 Prep

Marathon’s progression curve has long felt like slamming into a wall after the first few dozen hours – quests stretch into multi-step treks across the same maps while high-tier upgrades demand items you’ve barely seen. To fix this, Bungie is rolling out a major end-of-season patch on May 19 that supercharges loot drops, makes a key raid always accessible, and hints at bigger changes ahead for Season 2. Below, we break down every change you need to know about.

What’s Changing with Locked Room Keys in the May 19 Update?

The rarest loot in Marathon – locked room keys that open the best treasure rooms on Tau Ceti – will become much easier to obtain. Starting with the patch, Wardens (powerful map bosses) will guarantee a locked room key drop for the remainder of the season. Previously, these keys were so rare that many players resigned themselves to never seeing one. Now, every Warden kill ensures you get a key, turning these rooms from a pipe dream into a regular part of your loot run. Additionally, map events such as Intercept, Lockdown, Warden spawns, Convoy, and Anomaly will now appear on every run instead of randomly, giving you more frequent access to their better rewards. Wardens themselves will also spawn at more locations on Perimeter, Dire Marsh, and Outpost, making it easier than ever to hunt them down.

Is Cryo Archive Opening Up Permanently?

Yes – for the remainder of Season 1, the formerly time-limited Cryo Archive raid map will be accessible 24/7. Bungie is removing the “orange cones” that blocked entry, so you can drop into that high-difficulty content whenever you want. Alongside this always-open version, a Ranked Cryo Archive playlist is being introduced. Ranked matches will come in two buy-in tiers: a low-stakes option requiring 3,000 credits and a high-stakes version costing 10,000 credits. This gives players a risk-reward choice for competitive runs, while the standard open mode stays free and unlimited.

How Is Faction Progression Being Sped Up?

Bungie is increasing faction experience gains across the board for the rest of Season 1. No specific multipliers were announced, but the change is designed to help players unlock faction rewards faster – especially important because progression slows dramatically after the early levels. This boost applies to all faction activities, so grinding reputation should feel less like a second job. The blog notes that faster faction progression will carry into Season 2: Nightfall, which starts June 2, meaning this isn’t just a temporary boost – it’s a core change to the system.

What Quality-of-Life Fixes Are Included?

Several smaller changes aim to smooth out everyday play. Key templates – items that convert into keys – will no longer break if you get downed while carrying them; instead, you can turn a template into a key by finding a Matter Fixative item dropped by UESC bots (similar to keeping your free kit in a Rook run). Wall safes now have a chance to drop deluxe keys, adding another source of high-end loot. Quick Rook runs become more convenient because the Signal Mask ability lasts longer while sprinting, making it easier to bypass enemies. Finally, faction XP gains are increased across all activities (as above). Many of these tweaks originated from player feedback and may stick around after Season 1 ends.

Will These Changes Become Permanent?

Bungie explicitly states that several changes – like guaranteed locked room keys and always-on map events – are only for the remainder of Season 1. However, the studio has a track record of experimenting with temporary adjustments that later become permanent, as was the case with earlier loot and progression tweaks. So while nothing is guaranteed, there’s a strong chance that features like guaranteed map events and room keys will carry forward into Season 2: Nightfall and beyond. The one change confirmed to persist is faster faction progression, which will remain in Season 2.

What Is Season 2: Nightfall All About?

Season 2: Nightfall begins on June 2 and introduces the Night Marsh zone, a new area to explore. It also brings a new Runner shell (character class) and new weapons, along with a system called The Cradle that lets you customize your Runner shell’s stats. The season will retain the faster faction progression from the end of Season 1 and include several more quality-of-life updates based on player feedback. Full reveals for Season 2 are scheduled for the week of May 25, so players won’t have to wait long for details on new enemy types, story missions, or additional loot changes. This update marks the start of a new content cycle for Marathon, building on the foundation laid by the end-of-season patch.