There are 6 Factions in Marathon, and they are all made available through the "Introducing" Priority Contracts that become available from CyberAcme once you complete the Welcome to Tau Ceti Contract.
Each Faction can reward players with unique items to purchase from the Armory, along with unique Upgrades that will further enhance their Runner. Unlike Vault content, Faction progress won't reset with each Season, so it's essential to start building a reputation with the best Factions and to know how to do it.
Take a look at GameRant's interactive maps for Perimeter, Dire Marsh, and Outpost if you want to become the Runner who knows all!
All Weapons & Weapon Types in Marathon
Here's a full list of all weapons and guns that you can find in Marathon, along with their dedicated stats, so you can see what weapon you want.
What Are Factions in Marathon?
Factions are an essential part of the gameplay loop in Marathon and act as endgame vendors that will help you acquire better gear for your loadouts, along with permanent upgrades.
Factions each have their own tracks to level them up, through specific actions and contracts. Building reputation (XP) with a Faction grants you deeper customization with unlockable upgrades that remain permanent on your Runner, regardless of your Faction affiliation.
Below, we'll showcase all Factions, how to rank them up, and what they specialize in.
It's worth noting that when playing in a solo queue or as ROOK, reputation gains are increased by 20%.
CyberAcme Faction (Levels & Rewards)
CyAc Reputation is earned through the following sources:
- Complete CyberAcme Contracts
- Complete Runs
- Successfully Exfil
- Activate TADs
- Participate in Intercept events
CyberAcme is the default Faction that Runners will unlock. This Faction is for beginners and mainly focuses on upgrades that will benefit runs, such as an increase to Vault Space, Heat Capacity Increases, Credits Wallet Upgrades, and purchasable Backpacks.
The purpose of CyberAcme is to get you started on your journey through essential upgrades and priority contracts that lead to other factions.
NuCaloric Faction (Levels & Rewards)
NuCaloric Reputation is earned through the following sources:
- Complete NuCaloric Contracts
- Loot Medical Cabinets and Tick Nests
- Harvest Plants
- Participate in Supply Drops
- Exfil NucCal Valuables
The NuCaloric Faction invests heavily in self-care, with upgrades that focus on survivability. Players can spend Credits on upgrading the rarity of Shield Charges and Patch Kits, along with Self Revive Kits that will allow players to experience a greater lifespan.
Traxus Faction (Levels & Rewards)
Traxus Reputation is earned through the following sources:
- Complete Traxus Contracts
- Loot Arms Lockers, Tool Carts, and Transport Drones
- Destroy UESC Drones
- Complete Convoy Events
- Complete Lockdown Events
- Exfil Traxus Valuables
The Traxus Faction will allow you to unlock more weapons and weapon enhancements through attachments and modifications with their upgrade tree. Additionally, players can upgrade TAD (Target Acquisition Devices) and Pings, making comms with teammates more useful when engaging with UESC and Runners.
MIDA Faction (Levels & Rewards)
MIDA Reputation is earned through the following sources:
- Complete MIDA Contracts
- Loot Lockboxes and Munitions Crates
- Find coordinates and loot caches
- Complete secured Resources Events
- Exfil MIDA Valuables
MIDA is all about chaos, and as such, players can expect upgrades to focus on Explosives, Traps, Agility, and Implants, all of which can be purchased from the Armory. These enhancements will lay the groundwork to ensure no building is safe from your meddling, and the Implants add further purchasable upgrades to your Runner's abilities.
Arachne Faction (Levels & Rewards)
Arachne Reputation is earned through the following sources:
- Complete Arachne Contracts
- Loot Runners
- Down Runners with precision damage
- Defeat Runners with finishers
- Exfil Arache Valuables
Arache is the PvP faction that relishes in the deaths of other Runners by your hand. With Arachne, you can expect to focus on upgrades that increase the amount of weapons you can buy from the Armory, along with more lethal weapon mods and implants. Additionally, Arachne increases the melee damage and speed, along with providing a Finisher Siphon to get health on Runner kills.
Sekiguchi Faction (Levels & Rewards)
Sekiguchi Reputation is earned through the following sources:
- Complete Sekiguchi Contracts
- Loot Core Storage and Bioprinters
- Participate in Anomalous Extraction
- Complete Targeted Treasure Events
- Exfil Sekiguchi Valuables
Sekiguchi's Faction focuses on improving the cooldowns of your Prime and Tactical Abilities for your Runners. It's a decent faction that will earn you some Cores and Implants in the Armory, and it's worth the dangers of going to Outpost (once you reach Level 12).
Marathon
OpenCritic Reviews
Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and unpredictable environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, supplies are finite, and preparation is rewarded.
Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run.
A GRAVEYARD OF POSSIBILITIES
Trespass across deserted research facilities, rugged landscapes, and security outposts holding the remnants of a vanished expedition, yours to salvage. Tau Ceti threatens death at every turn with unique enemies, dynamic events, and environmental hazards. Each zone escalates in difficulty, preparing you for the UESC Marathon locked in the heavens.
POWERFUL. CONFIGURABLE. EXPENDABLE.
Six equippable Runner shells offer diverse playstyle foundations to build upon, like Destroyer, Recon, and Thief. Scavenge an arsenal of moddable weapons, body implants, and core system upgrades to craft countless builds. Strategize as a crew each run to form comps that maximize your combined strengths, shaping the way you approach fights and objectives.
Face the unknown as a crew of two or three, or alone in solo lobbies. Or sneak into in-progress crew lobbies as Rook, a lone scavenger with no starting gear and nothing to lose. Forge uneasy alliances with rival Runners in prox chat to defeat mutual foes, but remember your new allies might revert to enemies just as quickly. Be merciless in combat: A lone survivor can reboot their crew, even from death.
INFLUENCE IS POWERLiaise with six competing factions, each offering lucrative incentives to advance their foothold on Tau Ceti. Completing faction contracts grows your baseline power via season-long unlocks like Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, expanded vault space, and specialized wares on offer for spare loot.
No one knows what happened a century ago when the Marathon expedition went dark. As a trespasser into UESC territory, you are uniquely positioned to piece the story together. Unearth the skeletons of Tau Ceti’s past as you run deeper into the colony.
DEATH HANGS ABOVE
Once the way into orbit unlocks, bring your endgame build to Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon. Solve raid-like security measures to unseal frozen vaults and pillage the artifacts within. Every cramped corridor forces you into conflict with fully-geared enemy crews racing for the same prize. Breach the seventh vault to challenge an entity even the UESC fears.
- Genre(s)
- Extraction Shooter, FPS, Multiplayer
