Season 2 of Marathon, titled Nightfall, lands very soon, and it doubles as a smart jumping-on point. Veterans get a fresh batch of content and the game's first seasonal reset, while newcomers get a free window to try everything without paying upfront.
Before the new map and gear, the first thing most players want is the clock. Here's when the update unlocks and what's waiting on the other side of the download.
Marathon Season 2 release date and time for all regions
The Nightfall update flips on for everyone at the same moment, so players in Tokyo or Sydney aren't waiting an extra day even though their local calendar reads June 3. Expect a short maintenance window beforehand, during which servers go down and you'll be locked out until the patch finishes rolling out. You'll also need to grab the update on your platform to access the new content.
| Time zone | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Pacific (PDT) | June 2, 2026 — 10:00 AM |
| Mountain (MDT) | June 2, 2026 — 11:00 AM |
| Central (CDT) | June 2, 2026 — 12:00 PM |
| Eastern (EDT) | June 2, 2026 — 1:00 PM |
| Brasília (BRT) | June 2, 2026 — 2:00 PM |
| UTC / GMT | June 2, 2026 — 5:00 PM |
| Central Europe (CEST) | June 2, 2026 — 7:00 PM |
| Eastern Europe (EEST) | June 2, 2026 — 8:00 PM |
| Moscow (MSK) | June 2, 2026 — 8:00 PM |
| India (IST) | June 2, 2026 — 10:30 PM |
| China (CST) | June 3, 2026 — 1:00 AM |
| Japan (JST) | June 3, 2026 — 2:00 AM |
| Australia East (AEST) | June 3, 2026 — 3:00 AM |
| New Zealand (NZST) | June 3, 2026 — 5:00 AM |
The update arrives on Windows PC, Xbox Series S|X, and PlayStation 5.
Free Open Play Week (June 2 to June 9)
Alongside the season launch, Bungie is running an Open Play Week from June 2 through June 9. Anyone can hop in and play for free during that stretch, and if you decide to buy the game afterward, your progress carries over. It's a low-commitment way to test the extraction loop before spending anything.
The seasonal reset, explained
Nightfall brings the first-ever seasonal wipe, which is the headline change for returning players. A big chunk of your progress resets to zero so newcomers and veterans start on even footing. The catch: claim any Ranked rewards before the season flips, because once it does, they're gone.
Here's what gets wiped at the start of Season 2:
- Runner Level and Ranked Level.
- Faction Level and upgrades.
- Credits and currencies, except LUX and Silk.
- Everything in your inventory and Vault.
- Purchases unlocked through Schemas.
- Mailbox messages, rewards, and returned items.
- Priority Contracts, except the first contract for each faction.
- Gear-granting seasonal codex entries tied to your Runner and Ranked levels.
Plenty stays put, though. Your combat, feat, loot, map, Runner, and title Codex challenges survive, as do Faction unlocks, Rewards Pass progress, and Cryo Archive subroutine progress. The Cradle, a new system that levels up Runner stats across six categories, also resets each season.
What's new in Marathon Season 2: Nightfall
The centerpiece is a night variant of the Dire Marsh map. Bungie describes it as slower and closer to survival horror: fewer players, more environmental hazards, and new mechanics that test you while you're effectively a sense down. To cope with the dark, every Runner gets fresh light-based gear, including flashlights, Vector rounds that leave glowing pools where bullets land, Vector grenades, Darksight scopes for traversal, and multi-colored Signal Flares.
There's also a new Runner Shell called Sentinel, built to hold and defend ground. Its Prime ability, Defender System, drops an automated laser platform that shoots down incoming grenades and missiles while improving weapon handling for nearby teammates. The tactical Snare Mine is a proximity trap that bursts into immobilizing submunitions, the Castle Doctrine passive boosts resistances after splash damage, and Prey Tracker briefly reveals moving targets on radar.
On the sandbox side, two weapons join the pool:
- KKV-9SD — a suppressed, pistol-frame SMG that fires a blistering 1,200 rounds per minute and supports a new folding stock mod.
- D54 Battle Pistol — a full-auto, three-round-burst sidearm with a red dot, tuned for close-range duels.
Eight new chips also arrive, including Brain Freeze (precision downs spread Frost), Alarmist (projectile impacts trigger a proximity drone alert), and Scrapyard (kills can spawn heal items or materials). Implants are getting reworked too, now named after their perk with fixed stats, making it quicker to tell them apart while looting.
If you want the full breakdown straight from the developer, Bungie's Season 2 details post covers everything.
With a wipe, a moody new map, and a defensive Sentinel shell all dropping at once, June 2 is shaping up to be a real test of whether Marathon can keep its crowd around. Set your alarm for 10AM PT and grab those Sponsored Kits before the slate gets cleared.