Bungie adds two-week Marathon PvE mode Vault Breaker July 21

Developer Bungie will introduce its first player-versus-environment mode to the extraction shooter Marathon next week, a temporary experiment aimed at broadening the game's appeal. The new "Vault Breaker" mode is scheduled to launch on July 21 as part of the game's midseason 2 update and will be available for a limited two-week period, ending on August 4.

Described as a roguelite PvE experience, Vault Breaker will be set within the game's existing Cryo Archive map. Players, operating as solo runners, duos, or trios, will take on progressively tougher vaults across multiple runs. A key change from the core Marathon formula is the removal of player-versus-player combat, offering a focused environment against computer-controlled UESC forces.

Progression within the mode will revolve around collecting a new in-game currency called Vault Data. This currency can be used to upgrade a unique "Sponsored Kit" that players must use to access Vault Breaker, with upgrade paths focusing on areas like weapon quality, survivability, or implants. Vault Data can also be spent in a new Vault Breaker Armory to purchase weapons and items that can be used in Marathon's standard PvP modes, though this...