Marathon's Symbiosis Update Arrives 8 December With a PvE Mode, 3v3 Deathmatch and New Areas
Marathon's Symbiosis update lands on 8 December with PvE Expedition mode, 3v3 Deathmatch, a Bishop Runner shell, new weapons and an Open Play Week.
Bungie's extraction shooter Marathon gets its Symbiosis update on 8 December, adding a PvE-only mode, a 3v3 Deathmatch beta, a new Runner shell, two weapons and expanded areas on Tau Ceti IV. An Open Play Week runs alongside it from 8 to 15 December.
What's in Symbiosis
- Updated Perimeter zone: fungal growth and alien life have transformed the zone, with new playable spaces including the underground Burrows and the submerged Reservoir. The Tick Queen lurks deep beneath the surface.
- Expedition: Phase 1 of a new PvE-only mode built around a three-run series. You can play solo or with a crew, without any PvP threat, and use Flash Boosts to shape your build during a run.
- Deathmatch (Beta): an experimental PvP mode with short 3v3 Team Deathmatch matches. Two crews compete for points without risking their permanent loadouts.
- Limbo: a new social space where Runners can meet, test weapons and gear in firing ranges, and challenge each other in a dueling pit.
- Bishop Runner shell: a fast, blade-wielding robot.
- New weapons: the V17 Flamethrower for short-range area denial, and the Maverick, a new type of revolver with a hand-cannon feel.
Open Play Week and who gets it
The update launches for all players on 8 December. Marathon is available on PS5 with full cross-play and cross-save, and the PlayStation Blog notes that console play needs internet access and a paid subscription, sold separately. The announcement doesn't say whether Open Play Week needs a copy of the game or how long Expedition's later phases will take to arrive.
