Bungie has dated the biggest change to Marathon since launch. The Symbiosis update arrives on December 8, 2026 for all players, and it adds something the extraction shooter has not had: a mode with no other players hunting you.
The studio detailed the update on November 10, 2026, in a PlayStation Blog post and a Bungie.net article covering the accompanying Open Play Week. This is what Bungie has confirmed, and what it has not.
What is in the update
- Perimeter zone update. Fungal growth and alien life have changed the map, with new playable space in the underground Burrows and the submerged Reservoir. Bungie also teases the Tick Queen beneath the surface.
- Expedition. Phase one of a PvE-only mode built around a three-run series. Play solo or with a crew against combat and environmental challenges, with no PvP threat, and use Flash Boosts to reshape your build mid-run.
- Deathmatch (beta). Bite-sized 3v3 Team Deathmatch. Bungie’s selling point is that it does not put your permanent loadout at risk, which matters in a game where dying normally costs you gear.
- Limbo. A social space with firing ranges to test weapons and gear, plus a dueling pit.
- New gear. The Bishop Runner shell, built around fast blade work, the V17 Flamethrower for short-range area denial, and the Maverick, a new revolver archetype Bungie describes as having a hand-cannon feel.
Open Play Week and Crew Up
Open Play Week runs from December 8 to December 15, so anyone can try Tau Ceti IV without buying in, and players who buy afterwards keep the items and progression they earned. The Crew Up event opens with the update at 12 p.m. PT on December 8 and runs to 10 a.m. PT on December 22: players redeem a code on bungie.net, then complete challenges in Expedition with at least one other player who has done the same, unlocking cosmetics including the Exterminator title.
That pairing is the sensible part of the plan. A free week gets sceptical players through the door, and a crew-based event gives them a reason to bring someone with them.
What a returning player should try first
- Expedition, solo. It is the clearest read on whether the PvE design stands up without the tension of other crews, and it will not cost you a loadout to learn.
- Deathmatch during Open Play Week. Short matches, no permanent loss, and the fastest way to relearn gunplay before taking it back into the main mode.
- Limbo’s firing range. Test the Maverick and V17 before committing resources to either.
- Perimeter’s new spaces last. The Burrows and Reservoir are where map knowledge matters, and map knowledge is what separates a profitable run from a loss.
What it costs and where you play
Symbiosis is free to owners of Marathon, which is sold in Standard and Deluxe editions on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, with cross-play and cross-save. Console play requires an internet connection and a paid console subscription sold separately. Bungie has not announced a price change for the base game in this update.
For another live-service shooter adjusting its balance this month, see our notes on the Overwatch 2 November hotfix.
What we did not do
We have not played the update, and we did not attend a preview. Everything above comes from Bungie’s November 10 announcement as published on the PlayStation Blog and Bungie.net, both linked below and both read on November 12, 2026. We have not described modes beyond the ones Bungie listed, and we make no claim about how the new content performs in practice.
Sources
- PlayStation Blog: Marathon Symbiosis update launches December 8 (November 10, 2026)
- Bungie.net: Marathon Symbiosis — Open Play Week and Crew Up event
