Bungie has been teasing the fourth map in its recently released extraction shooter, Marathon – but it’s not just another open region for looting gear, getting into fights, and extracting.
Cryo Archive will be players’ first taste of a raid-like instance in Marathon (and actually exploring the UESC Marathon ship), which will contain gameplay mechanics similar to ones seen in Destiny raids such as puzzles, in-match events, and evolving sequences of objectives. Bungie outlined everything you need to know about Cryo Archive in a recent blog post ahead of it going live on Friday, March 20 (and only available on weekends).
The team also just dropped a teaser trailer that shows gameplay in Cryo Archive, which looks to be a cold and hostile section of the ship filled with rogue UESC bots that are sure to mess you up. You can watch the trailer below and listen to the dulcet tones of one Ben Starr (Verso in Clair Obscur, Clive in Final Fantasy XVI), presumably voicing the omnipresent Durandal from the old Marathon games.
However, this is not just something that will unlock for all players; there are several requirements you need to meet in order to access Cryo Archive. The initial threshold revealed in-game says that players need to be season level 25, have all factions unlocked (completing the initial liaison contracts), and queue in with a loadout value of $5k credits or higher. That last part is indicative of this being difficult end-game content.
As said in Bungie’s blog post, it’s warning players that it won’t be a walk in the park:
- Intensity: Cranked to the top. Cryo Archive is a pinnacle challenge and will take many runs to learn and master.
- Playstyle: Think raid-style puzzle solving and layered mechanics wrapped around brutal extraction stakes.
- Design: A labyrinthian layout where tight corridors give way to massive open spaces, pitting enemy crews against each other to unseal frozen Vaults.
The biggest eye-catcher here is that Cryo Archive contains seven vaults with the highest-level gear so far in the game and unique gold-tier weapons in special lockers, but these will be heavily guarded. And if you’ve been playing, you know how unforgiving UESC bots can be. However, these vaults need to be opened with keys found on the other three maps, adding an extra layer to the loot-extract-risk it all dynamic of Marathon. It’s also possible to find additional vault keys in vaults you open, or better yet, possibly off of other teams you’ll encounter who bring keys into the match.
//: CRYO ARCHIVE SYSTEMS: WAKING
//: COMMS SYSTEM TAKEOVER: UNDERWAY
>> ive seen you there
>> running for your lives
>> afterlifeafterlifeafterlife
>> it will be so much fun
>> to get to know you— NULL//TRANSMIT.ERR (@MarathonTheGame) March 19, 2026
Bungie teased a few more twists, saying the exfil sites will function differently than what you see on the other three maps, but did not give any detail beyond that. There will be Cryo Archive-specific contracts offered by the CyberAcme faction and you can re-roll to cycle through the contract pool. Completing a contract will remove it from the pool until the contract pool resets for the following weekend. These can reward you with high-tier gear and items, vault keys, Runner skins, and unique Codex entries.
The blog post also has a cryptic message about what we may find on the ship:
“A path toward assembling a DN~~~%^&*()8167f48f-e253-4e2f-be4c-2077b646d531+{}:”<>?~~ that leads deeper into the Marathon’s secrets and towa~~~~%^&*()_+{}:”<>?~~~~~~~”
Hmm, another piece to Marathon’s cryptic approach to storytelling in its multiplayer game. It’s been one of the more fascinating aspects having followed the game and aligns with the rare in-game hints at terminals and the ARG elements Bungie’s been weaving into the lead-up to Cryo Archive. It’s also interesting that Cryo Archive will only be available on weekends, so you won’t be able to grind it out everyday – and I think that makes it a little more enticing and event-like.
For more on Bungie’s extraction shooter, check out our Marathon review-in-progress and use all of our Marathon guides to make sure you get the most out of your runs on Tau Ceti IV.
