When Marathon Season 2 begins on June 2, players will encounter a nighttime version of Ciénaga Doom where they must survive the darkness and be careful when using the flashlight, which becomes a tool for all runners. «This new zone introduces new mechanics, combatants, and locations to explore in the Doom Marsh,» Bungie says. «It is designed for slower exploration than the Swamp by day and includes elements of the survival horror genre, with fewer players and more environmental challenges hidden in the darkness.»
In addition to the flashlight, players will have access to vector ammo, a new type of magazine that creates flashes where bullets hit to illuminate enemy runners and fighters, vector gains, which highlight the environment and mark nearby enemies, scopes that highlight the environment after aiming for a few moments and focus on enemies, and signal beacons that illuminate an area.
The catalog of corridors is expanded with a new defensive surveillance framework, which has been designed to control spaces and defend areas. «If you want to protect your team from rocket drone bombardment during a tight final evacuation or counter an aggressive team that is pressuring you, this will be your runner,» Bungie explains. The Surveillance Shell’s primary ability is Defender System, which deploys an automated laser platform that identifies and destroys enemy grenades and missiles and enhances the weapon handling of all nearby teammates.
The third big novelty of season 2 is a system called the module that serves to improve the frame during the course of a season. The module allows you to strengthen WEAVEworms to increase the frame’s stats in six categories and unlock perks. The main way to improve stats will be through the use of the Matter Converter, which transforms weapons, equipment, and other items into experience for the module. The better the item, the more experience you will receive.
With season 2, updates and improvements to weapons and modifiers will also arrive, as well as more defined implants to make them easier to identify. Finally, improvements are made to the faction system to generally increase the rate of progress.