Every Marathon Core Revealed So Far

Marathon Cores provide significant enhancements to your character’s abilities, making it essential to seek out the best ones for an optimal loadout. While the complete details of the Cores system for each Runner Shell are still under wraps, we have gathered some insights from alpha tests and early reveals ahead of the game’s launch. Below, you’ll find a compilation of the Runner Cores in Marathon that we know about so far.

In Marathon, Cores are equippable upgrades tailored for specific Runner Shells, boosting their capabilities by either enhancing a particular ability or introducing entirely new features. Some Cores are versatile enough to fit any Runner Shell, offering general enhancements. You can equip up to two Cores in your Shell’s loadout, so it’s crucial to gather and install the best ones to tackle the toughest challenges on Tau Ceti IV.

You can acquire Cores by looting them from containers or defeating other players during a run, similar to how you collect most items in Marathon. Any Cores you pick up will be stored in your backpack, but you can equip them immediately if you have an available slot. If you manage to extract safely, you’ll retain your Cores, with those in your backpack transferring to your vault for manual loadout adjustments later.

Additionally, you can purchase Cores from the Black Market, but this typically requires unlocking a specific faction upgrade. For instance, during the April 2025 alpha test, players could unlock a CyAc upgrade that enabled the purchase of Standard-rarity Cores from the Black Market.

This overview covers the Marathon Cores available for each Runner Shell and the shared Cores we’ve discovered. Expect the list to expand significantly by the time of the game’s full launch, and we’ll be sure to update this guide with a comprehensive list and our recommendations as soon as possible.