One of the big draws of Marathon is the opportunity to embrace the Runner lifestyle. Expensive biosynthetic shells that house the consciousness of a person inside of them, each Runner shell is also highly customizable, and developer Bungie has outlined how players can fine-tune each one to help them survive Tau Ceti.
Each Runner shell is built to focus on a different gameplay archetype–like intel gathering, combat disruption, or combat healing–and their visual design makes them easy to distinguish from a distance, so you’ll know how to deal with one in the heat of battle. Players can customize their Runner shell using the cores, implants, weapons, and mods they bring with them on each run, and they can also be visually customized with cosmetics earned from a variety of sources.
For example, players can go all in on agility, modifying the “Combat Anarchist” Vandal shell to be a scout that can triple-jump and quickly move across the map. Prefer to cause some chaos instead? Then you’ll want to invest in mods that give you a tactical advantage in the air and allow you to cause some splash damage when you land. Cores–powerful standalone perks–also have the potential to be combined to create interesting effects.
There’s even a shell for players who don’t want to risk losing any of their gear, as they can enter Scavenger Mode as a Rook. Players can drop into matches that are already in progress, and while they can’t bring a loadout with them, that also means they won’t risk losing any of their loot acquired from previous runs or during a current match if they’re eliminated. Players can choose to give Rook Runners some gear to help them out, or, as Bungie noted, blast them on the spot and remove them from the game.
So far, the list of Runner shells includes the following models:
Destroyer
Archetype: Combat specialist
These shells are armed with a personal defense barricade, missile systems, and movement thrusters, allowing them to fight enemies up close and personal.
Assassin
Archetype: Shadow agent
Stealth-focused shells for players who want to stick to the shadows, Assassins can strike unaware enemies and blend in with their surroundings by using camouflage technology.
Recon
Archetype: Intel specialist
Every team needs a scout, and Recon shells are great for identifying threats and tracking movements by using echo pulses, tracker drones, and holographic footstep trails.
Vandal
Archetype: Combat anarchist
The Vandal moves fast and is a chaotic force in engagements thanks to their arsenal of disruptive skills.
Thief
Archetype: Covert acquisitions
The shell that loot goblins will gravitate towards, Thieves can locate loot and enemies through walls with their advanced visor technology. Thieves also carry a drone that can steal loot and scout the environment.
Triage
Archetype: Field medic
The Triage shell is designed for support-focused players, so if you want to keep your team alive for longer, this is the class to choose. Triage Runners can deploy healing drones and buff teammates, and in combat, they can enhance their weapons to be more effective and lethal.
Rook (Scavenger Mode exclusive)
Archetype: Scavenger
Perfect for solo players, Rook shells have predetermined loadouts. Essentially, you’ll risk nothing by choosing this option, but any loot you find is yours to keep.
Originally scheduled to launch last year, Marathon will land on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 in March and is priced at $40. Marathon has had a rocky development cycle so far, as Bungie was accused of stealing art–the matter was later resolved–and the game’s art director departed after several years of work on the sci-fi extraction shooter.