Marathon Season 2 Guide: Everything Carrying Over in the June 2 Wipe

Marathon Season 2 starts June 2! Our definitive guide covers everything carrying over in Bungie’s first extraction shooter wipe. Learn about the new Runner shell, The Cradle customization, and how to survive the Season 1 finale on Tau Ceti IV.

The year 2026 has been the year of the extraction shooter, and Bungie’s Marathon is standing at the center of the storm. As we approach the end of an explosive Season 1, the community is bracing for the inevitable: the first-ever seasonal wipe. On June 2, 2026, Marathon Season 2 officially kicks off, resetting the playing field and introducing a wave of new content that promises to redefine the Tau Ceti IV experience.

For veteran Runners and newcomers alike, the seasonal wipe is a moment of both mourning and opportunity. Your hard-earned vaults will be cleared, but the meta will be refreshed. Bungie has recently detailed exactly what stays and what goes, alongside a massive end-of-season event starting May 19. If you want to maximize your progress before the reset, here is our 1,500-word deep dive into the Marathon Season 2 transition.

The Great Reset: What is Wiping on June 2?

In 2026, the extraction genre relies on the "wipe" mechanic to prevent power creep and maintain a healthy economy. When Season 2 launches, several core progression tracks will return to zero. It is essential to spend your resources now rather than letting them vanish into the digital ether.

Resetting the Playing Field

• Runner and Ranked Levels: Your overall level and competitive rank will be reset. Everyone starts Season 2 back at the beginning of the climb.
• Faction Levels and Upgrades: The influence you’ve built with the various factions of Tau Ceti IV will reset. You will need to re-earn their favor to access high-tier gear.
• Vault and Currency: All items currently sitting in your vault will be wiped. Additionally, standard in-game currencies will be removed. Use them or lose them!
• Seasonal Content: Schema unlocks and seasonal codex entries tied to your Season 1 rank will disappear, making room for the Season 2 rewards.

The Survivors: What Carries Over to Season 2?

Bungie understands that players need a sense of permanent progression to stay invested in a long-term live service. Thankfully, not everything is lost in the June 2 wipe. Your cosmetic identity and long-term research remain intact.

Permanent Progression Tracks

The following will remain on your account when Season 2 begins:

• Weapon and Shell Cosmetics: Any skins, charms, or visual modifications you’ve earned or purchased will stay in your collection.
• Premium Currencies: Lux and Silk (Marathon’s premium credits) are safe and will carry over to Season 2.
• Cryo Archive Subroutines: Your progress in the deeper research tiers of the Cryo Archive remains, giving veteran players a slight edge in technical utility.
• Faction Access: If you completed the Liaison Contracts for a faction in Season 1, they will be unlocked from day one in Season 2. No need to redo the initial paperwork!

Season 1 Finale: Tau Ceti IV is Heating Up

Starting May 19, 2026, Tau Ceti IV will become significantly more dangerous. Bungie is "super-charging" the end of the season with increased UESC presence. Runners can expect more dropships, more crash sites, and a mysterious "new threat" appearing in the Dire Marsh and Perimeter zones.

The Cryo Archive Daily Event

For those chasing the endgame, the Cryo Archive map will be available daily starting May 21. To ease the pain of the upcoming wipe, Bungie is providing a Free Daily Sponsored Kit specifically for Cryo Archive runs. This allows players to experience the most difficult content in the game with zero risk to their remaining Season 1 gear. For the truly elite, a special Ranked Cryo Archive playlist will also be available for the final push.

Mechanical Changes: From Fragile to Compromised

The May 14 update isn't just about the wipe; it’s about refining the game's core mechanics. One of the biggest shifts is how Keys function. Moving away from the "Fragile" system, keys will now be Compromised.

To fix a Compromised key, you will need Matter Fixative, a rare resource looted from enemy UESC Commanders. This change makes keys more valuable and, crucially, allows Runners to steal keys off the bodies of rival crews. It’s a high-stakes change that increases the "extraction" tension tenfold. Furthermore, new Deluxe Keys are being added to wall safes across all maps, providing more avenues for high-tier loot acquisition.

Looking Ahead: What’s New in Marathon Season 2?

While the wipe might feel like a loss, the content coming on June 2 is designed to revitalize the game. Bungie has teased several major additions that have the 2026 community buzzing:

• The Cradle Customization: A brand-new system for deeper Runner customization, allowing players to tweak the mechanical and aesthetic properties of their shells.
• New Runner Shell: A completely new playable "class" with unique tactical abilities.
• Night Version of Dire Marsh: A new way to experience one of the game's most iconic maps, with limited visibility and new nocturnal threats.
• C.A.R.R.I. Improvements: The catch-up system introduced in April will be refined to help casual players bridge the gap between seasonal resets.

"The seasonal wipe isn't the end of your story in Marathon; it's the beginning of a new chapter on Tau Ceti IV."

Technical Performance and QoL

Marathon continues to push the boundaries of 2026 hardware. On the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the game maintains a rock-solid 60 FPS even during the chaotic UESC dropship encounters. The June 2 update will also bring various quality-of-life fixes based on Season 1 player feedback, including faster faction progression and UI cleanups for the Cryo Archive.

Conclusion: Prepare for the Wipe

Marathon Season 2 is a bold step forward for Bungie. By resetting the economy while protecting player identity through cosmetics and Archive progress, they are striking a balance that many extraction shooters fail to hit. Tau Ceti IV is about to become a very different place, and the final weeks of Season 1 are your last chance to go out in a blaze of glory.

Spend your Lux, finish your Liaison Contracts, and prepare your shells. The Tau Ceti sun is setting on Season 1, but the dawn of Season 2 on June 2 promises to be even brighter. We’ll see you in the exclusion zone.

Marathon Season 2 Wipe Checklist:

• Wipes: Runner Level, Ranked Level, Vault Items, Standard Currencies, Faction Rep.
• Stays: All Skins/Cosmetics, Lux/Silk (Premium Credits), Cryo Archive Research, Faction Unlocks.
• Key Dates: May 19 (End-Season Event), May 21 (Daily Cryo Archive), June 2 (Season 2 Launch).
• New Features: The Cradle Customization, Night Dire Marsh, New Runner Shell.