If you just jumped into this chaotic extraction shooter, this Beginner’s Guide to Marathon will get you from “what the hell is that giant worm lady” to confidently extracting loot without constantly respawning. I play aggressively, make dumb mistakes, and share what actually matters so you can avoid the same facepalms.
Beginner’s Guide to Marathon
Marathon is an extraction shooter that blends PvE and PvP. You drop into a fresh map, hunt for loot, complete a single active contract, and decide whether to stealth past or fight other players. Extract alive and you keep everything. Die and you lose what you carried in.
How matches and teams work
Most matches start fresh with a set number of teams (map dependent). That means no surprise late-join teams wiping you out mid-game—except for the Rook class, which always spawns into matches already in progress as a solo player.
Tip: on small maps with few teams, dominating early makes later looting peaceful—only watch for solo rooks who can pop into the match.
Dealing with UEC bots and PvE threats
UEC robots are tougher than they used to be and can wreck you if you disrespect them. Most are not worth engaging because fighting them wastes ammo, heals, and makes noise that attracts players. If you must fight low-level robots or ticks, use the heavy knife swing—quiet and fast.
Healing, antivirus packs, and mechanics kits
Two healing staples are shield charges (for shields) and patch kits (for health). Remember: shield charges do not instantly refill shields. Use depleted variants for small damage—those cannot be extracted and will be auto-sold, so use them freely.
Mechanics kits reduce negative status effects like poisonous spores. Antivirus packs let you safely enter red zones during UEC events by adding a temporary HUD meter that protects you while it drains.
Weapon rarity and mods
Weapon rarity is determined entirely by attached mods. Stripped guns can hide valuable attachments you should salvage. After killing a runner, check their weapon for mods you can peel off and keep.
Quick rule: if a gun has three mid-tier attachments it will upgrade in rarity. Prioritize grabbing attachments you can use later.
Extractions and timing
Extractions open when 20 minutes remain on the match timer. Two types exist: regular and guarded. Guarded extractions call UEC troops, so expect trouble. When you activate an extraction it takes 50 seconds to power up and then a 10-second ring timer to leave. You can reset the 10-second timer by stepping out and back in.
If you miss a powered extraction, you must find another—there are no multi-use extraction points.
Contracts and upgrades: what to prioritize
You can run one contract at a time for faction rep and rewards. Prioritize priority contracts first because they give more rep and better gear. Faction rep unlocks runner upgrades like vault expansion, heat sink, and the scavenger perk that reveals loot faster.
What loot should you keep
All loot has value, but grab these first:
- Any healing items (shield charges and patch kits)
- Enhanced salvage items (unstable diodes, gunmetal, biomass, lead, gel)
- Weapon mods you can strip and reuse
Runner shells and the Rook
There are seven shells. Quick TLDR:
- Destroyer: aggressive frontliner
- Vandal: movement demon, double jump
- Recon: enemy detection and tracking
- Assassin: invisibility and stealth plays
- Triage: combat medic with healing drone and long-range revive
- Thief: loot drone and grappling hook (high skill ceiling)
- Rook: free-kit solo spawn into matches in progress
If you solo, Assassin is meta for quick escapes. In teams, make sure one player picks Triage—the heal drone and instant revive are game changers. The Rook is perfect if you want a free kit and enjoy high-alert solo scavenging.
Endgame and final tips
There is an endgame. Ranked mode is planned, and PvE content called Cryo Archive will arrive, promising PvE puzzles and vaults on the UEC Marathon ship. For now, focus on contracts and upgrades, hoard unstable salvages, and practice quiet play to avoid being third-partied.
Closing tip: prioritize contracts and runner upgrades early, treat robots with respect, and never undervalue the knife. Follow this Beginner’s Guide to Marathon and you will extract more often than not.
