Marathon Players Discover Hidden Final Area After Two-Week ARG Challenge

We’re on the brink of uncovering the mysteries surrounding the abandoned colony on Tau Ceti in Bungie’s Marathon, as players have successfully cracked the intricate ARG puzzles to unlock the game’s inaugural raid: Cryo Archive. Bungie announced that the endgame zone has been accessed thanks to a significant community effort led by #breach-protocol in the official Marathon Discord.

Following this achievement, Bungie dropped a launch trailer for Cryo Archive, narrated by Ben Starr, who many fans believe is voicing the rogue AI Durandal from the original Marathon trilogy. His ominous lines, including “Such ambition for glory in the face of unknowable terror,” set a chilling tone. The trailer takes us aboard the UESC Marathon, a colony ship orbiting Tau Ceti IV. According to the game’s lore, the Marathon went silent years ago, and after Earth received a distress signal, the Runners were sent to investigate the deserted colony.

The ARG experience mimicked hacking into the ship’s systems to gain access. As described in a Bungie blog post, “Cryo Archive is the first deck of the UESC Marathon, featuring a maze of cryopods, medical bays, and storage wings where colonists once drifted in and out of deep sleep during their interstellar journey.” Players will navigate through six interconnected wings and a central hub, searching for frozen vaults filled with loot and “dark secrets.” To progress, players will need to unlock various security clearances to access different areas, ultimately leading to an entity that even the UESC fears. If the previous Marathon trilogy is any guide, the formidable entity hinted at in the trailer is likely a S’pht—essentially a brain encased in a powerful cybernetic body.

Looking ahead, Cryo Archive will be playable only on weekends, starting Friday, March 20, at 1 p.m. EDT. Players must reach a minimum runner level of 25 and have all six factions unlocked. Additionally, they’ll need to enter with a loadout valued at a minimum of 5,000 credits.