Marathon’s Ultimate Challenge Tied to Its Most Frustrating Mission

For almost two weeks, players have been diving into an ARG puzzle in Bungie’s latest extraction shooter, Marathon. The goal? Unlocking the next level, Cryo Archive. But before you can explore this new area, there are two key requirements to meet, one of which involves tackling Marathon’s most frustrating faction contract.

What kicked off with activating terminals across Marathon’s maps has evolved into a complex ARG puzzle that includes a website, a Discord server, clues, and cryptic videos. Over the weekend, players made significant progress, uncovering details about Cryo Archive, the “endgame” level set aboard the iconic Marathon ship from the original ’90s trilogy. To access this yet-to-be-released area, players must reach rank 25 and establish connections with all factions. This suggests that completing “Introducing: Sekiguchi” is a prerequisite before you can enjoy the new level.

Each faction in Marathon has an introductory contract, or quest, and most of these are relatively straightforward, providing lore and context before you dive deeper into their missions. However, Sekiguchi’s intro quest is a different beast. It requires players to venture into Outpost, a perilous area, find a biochemical, inject it, and then scan themselves using a medical device located elsewhere on the map.

The catch? The chemical inflicts damage every 20 seconds, which can be quite frustrating. Plus, locating the scanning machine can be a hassle, especially if it’s your first time in Outpost, which is likely if you’re new to the game. And at any moment, another player can eliminate you, forcing a restart. It can be a truly exasperating experience. Many players have taken to forums to voice their frustrations or request changes. I know a few who spent hours trying to complete it solo, while I managed to get through on my third attempt with a group, and it was intense.

That said, I believe this is a reasonable challenge. The requirements to enter Cryo Archive, which should unlock in Marathon soon, should serve as a barrier. Only players with solid gear and weapon loadouts should be raiding that space, not low-level newcomers with basic kits. If “Introducing: Sekiguchi” is proving too difficult, chances are you’re not quite ready for Cryo Archive yet.