New Marathon update bolsters free kit meds, and solo runs are all the better for it

At a certain point in an extraction shooter wipe, going in with a free loadout becomes a ridiculously tough pursuit. No matter how cautious you are, you’re bound to run into players that are looted to the gods. Your meds get gobbled up in an instant, and you’re suddenly praying to a higher power for any sort of exit that gets you back to the lobby safe. In Marathon, you already have limited backpack space, so stocking up on extra consumables mid-run is often a difficult choice. Well, in the FPS game’s latest update, Bungie has offered a small amount of salvation on both fronts, having upped the amount of meds Standard Sponsored Kits come with, and increasing their stack size.

As of today’s Marathon patch, Depleted Patch Kits and Depleted Shield Charges, the lowest rarity meds, have had their stack size doubled from three to six. On top of this, Standard Sponsored Kits come with an expanded stack of both meds, and recruits now drop more of them. It may seem like a small change on paper, but it could have massive ramifications when it comes to survivability. If you’re skulking around for scraps of loot, or specific goods to unlock more upgrades, you innately have a better chance of making it out. Additionally, with the expanded stack sizes, you’ll have more inventory space for the good stuff.

Fundamentally, this makes the allure of just sending a free loadie, especially if you’re flying solo, even more enticing. Of course, if you encounter a suped-up aimer out on the Marathon maps, you’re still probably doomed. But, if you can get out of the firing line, then you’re golden. With more meds in your pocket, you can also afford to risk a second bite of the cherry, potentially resulting in a greater loot yield per run. As a veritable goblin, I’m a big fan of this.

Elsewhere in the patch notes, Bungie has fixed up a few bugs, and, as another quality-of-life tweak that synergizes with the meds change, has improved the accuracy of selections when using the radial menu. The goal of this, the studio jokes, is to reduce “the number of instances a frag grenade is accidentally tossed at the player’s feet instead of a bubble shield.” It should also help ensure you don’t accidentally attempt to top up your health when you’re trying to pick a Shield Charge instead.

While the new update may be a small one in the grand scheme of things, I expect to see more players braving the free loadout life. This might be a detriment to the giga-looted wolves looking for tasty prey, but poorer and newer players should hypothetically have a better time of things; a worthwhile trade-off in my books.