Marathon uses three separate currencies that each feed into a different part of the game's economy. With the Server Slam now live and the full launch set for March 5, understanding how Credits, Silk, and Enhanced Salvage work — and where to spend them — will save you a lot of confusion once the stakes are real.
Quick answer: Credits are the premium shop currency earned through looting and contracts. Enhanced Salvage is the in-raid trading currency used at the armory for loot, ammo, and consumables. Silk is the Reward Pass currency earned by leveling up your Season Level, but it has no use during the Server Slam because Reward Passes are not yet available.
Credits — Marathon's Premium Shop Currency
Credits function as the premium currency in Marathon. You spend them in the shop on high-end items and gear. To earn Credits, you need to loot buildings during raids and complete faction contracts. Because Credits fuel the shop, they're the currency most directly tied to acquiring top-tier equipment outside of what you find in the field.
During the Server Slam, Credits still accumulate — your Credit Value rises after successful extractions and drops when you die repeatedly — but nothing from the Server Slam carries over to the full game. Treat the current period as practice for understanding how quickly Credits flow in and out of your account.
Enhanced Salvage — The Armory Trading Currency
Enhanced Salvage is Marathon's functional in-raid economy currency. You use it at the armory to trade for loot, ammunition, and consumables. It's the most straightforward currency to earn: kill other players and loot buildings. If you're running raids aggressively and clearing zones, Enhanced Salvage will accumulate naturally.
Think of Enhanced Salvage as the workhorse currency that keeps your loadouts stocked between runs. While Credits handle premium purchases and Silk handles cosmetic progression, Enhanced Salvage is what keeps you operational on a run-to-run basis.
Silk — The Reward Pass Currency
Silk is the most misunderstood currency in Marathon right now, largely because it cannot be spent during the Server Slam. Its sole purpose is unlocking items from Reward Passes, which function similarly to Warbonds in Helldivers 2 or Decks in Arc Raiders. These passes contain cosmetics and resources you can use to customize your Runner Shells.
You earn Silk in increments of 10 each time you increase your Season Level, which happens by gaining XP. The two main XP sources are defeating hostiles and successfully extracting from raids. During the Server Slam, Silk has a balance limit of 140 with an overflow cap of 60, meaning the effective maximum is 200. When your Silk hits the cap, the UI highlights the number in red with an exclamation point.
An important detail: the in-game description for Silk suggests that Reward Passes themselves are not purchased with Silk. Silk unlocks items within a pass, but the pass itself may require a separate premium purchase. The full monetization structure won't be clear until the March 5 launch.
Quick Reference: All Three Currencies
| Currency | Purpose | How to Earn |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | Premium shop purchases | Loot buildings, complete contracts |
| Enhanced Salvage | Trade for loot, ammo, and consumables at the armory | Kill players, loot buildings |
| Silk | Unlock items within Reward Passes | Increase Season Level (complete contracts and challenges) |
Server Slam Limitations
During the Server Slam, all three currencies accumulate as you play, but their practical value is limited. Credits and Enhanced Salvage can be used normally within the test environment, but Silk sits idle because no Reward Passes exist in the Server Slam build. More importantly, nothing — currency balances, gear, Season Level progress — carries over to the full release on March 5.
The Server Slam is best treated as a sandbox for learning Marathon's economy and raid loop. Get comfortable with how quickly Enhanced Salvage flows through the armory, experiment with spending Credits, and don't worry about the Silk number sitting at its cap. Once Reward Passes go live with the full game, that currency will finally have a purpose worth tracking.