Marathon's changed up the Cryo Archive and ranked times, so now my kids don't need to watch me exfil on the weekends

I’ve been obsessed with Marathon since it was released. From the slick art direction to the fathoms of lore hidden in obscure and often abstruse menu systems, this truly is a game that rewards you for paying attention. My one nitpick was that Cryo Archive, the first season’s endgame map, was restricted to weekends. As someone with young kids who would prefer to go to the park than sit around watching their dad exfiltrate an alien planet, my weekends are strictly non-gaming time. Thankfully, the new Marathon update has shifted things around so I can finally give Cryo Archive a go.

Marathon developer Bungie has responded to player feedback that overlapping the schedules of Cryo Archive and ranked mode provided a dilemma. Do you equip your best gear to take on the six vaults of Cryo Archive in order to get better loot, or do you get strapped in for some sweaty PvP action in ranked mode? Thankfully, Bungie has listened to its players and made changes before the first ranked ladder has even begun.

Where before, the multiplayer game had overlap between the two modes, Cryo Archive has now been shifted to start on Thursday, March 26, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 5pm GMT / 6pm CEST, until Sunday, March 29, at the same time. Ranked will begin immediately afterwards, and continue until the same time on Thursday, April 2.

This not only means that I’ll be able to make my first foray into the Cryo Archive tonight, but also that players won’t have to make the tricky decision of which highly-competitive game mode to drop into. This should help queue times for both, too, as players won’t be split between the two.

Bungie is still testing duos, but the two-teammate mode is moving from Perimeter to Dire Marsh this week. You may have noticed this already, as the change went live late yesterday, March 25, but don’t be confused if your duo is dropping into the stinking quagmire of Tau Ceti instead of the more palatable environs of Perimeter.

Joe Ziegler, Marathon’s game director, says that the team is continuing to observe combat engagements, exfil rates, technical issues, and player feedback around duos. He expects the Dire Marsh duos queue to stick around for a week as Bungie continues to measure data around the mode. As usual, you’ll have to find a buddy to queue with as duos won’t allow crew fill, but that shouldn’t be difficult with the number of dedicated Discord servers or those unexpected friends you make after a particularly gnarly exfiltration.

So far, Marathon is ticking all the right boxes for me. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing an extraction shooter, and Bungie is quick to take on board player feedback, as evidenced by both the duos mode and the changes to the ranked and Cryo Archive crossover. I hope it’s got the legs to continue, because I can see myself playing for years to come.