Marathon Cuts Cradle Progression, Exacerbating Hardcore vs Casual Gap

In a recent development, Bungie has implemented changes to the Cradle progression within Marathon, making it more challenging for casual players to enhance their stats compared to dedicated ones who have already maximized their progression, barely a week after Season 2’s launch. As part of an update on Twitter, Bungie acknowledged issues with the progression systems and loot economy, promising to roll out some fixes.

According to Bungie, the increased quality and quantity of loot has led to a 25% hike in Cradle progression costs. Moreover, they are still investigating additional issues and plan to adjust global loot drops. The primary objective is to ensure that loot remains rewarding without overwhelming the economy with too many powerful items early in the season. Bungie assures continuous monitoring of these systems and feedback throughout the season.

The new adjustments to Cradle progression imply that post-nerf players will find it time-consuming and resource-intensive to level up, given the increased costs.

In this text, the paragraph with the strongest news value is the second one, which provides details about the changes in Cradle progression costs and Bungie’s plans for global loot adjustments. The analysis block explains how these changes aim to create a more balanced gaming experience.

A concern has been raised by long-term players of Marathon on Reddit, expressing that they have reached the maximum progression in the game. As Kris_Indicud explains, “the developers eased the requirements for stats with the introduction of the cradle and later with factions, requiring less materials.” This change, while beneficial for casual players spending a few hours weekly, has allowed dedicated players like Kris_Indicud to quickly progress through upgrades or focus on specific levels like Outpost and Night Marsh to maximize their Cradle. The user further notes that the developers are in a challenging position, as catering to casual players may result in overpowered progression for dedicated gamers.

Another user, DrRaspberryJam, expressed frustration with the timing of the nerf, stating, “a nerf was needed but NOT after people already progressed, and it’s a bit disappointing that it was basically before the weekend so people couldn’t try to catch up to the already maxed players.”

“So… players who boosted Cradle are now maxed and those who didn’t have to pay more and loot is decreased? This is exactly what… I thought was gonna happen,” said resampL.

Marathon Season 2 is currently available on Windows PC, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PS5; a free‑to‑play week runs through until 12 June here in Australia. We reviewed the game here.