Image: Bungie

Marathon is a game I've had an amazing time with since its release, but I have taken a short break, and I think the Nightfall Refresh may just change that and pull me back in.

Nightfall Refresh brings many changes and, yes, "refreshes" that seem to prepare Marathon for its larger Symbiosis update in December. To start, all accounts have been wiped and reset back to what it was like playing for the first time, giving everyone a fair chance again and revitalising the economy.

While many people dislike the idea of a wipe, I think Marathon is the type of game that needs it most, and it makes me want to come back after a long break, as I know I have goals to work for and items to get.

This wipe also brings many balance changes, with various weapons and shells tweaked to create a fairer overall experience; for example, the DRRVSH is a little less oppressive, and the Recons echo pulse is less easy to exploit.

Cryo Archive and its schedule are also being balanced, now running until Monday instead of ending on Sunday, giving you more time to get that sweet compiler kill and its rewards. Sponsored queues will also return on the same timeframe rotation, and vault breaker returns in week 3 of this update, letting players experience Cryo Archive in a more approachable way.

Solo mode has also had some tuning, with UESC enemies now less powerful in solo-only lobbies, making the solo experience feel much more in line, difficulty-wise, with the team queue. This is something I am really happy about; as someone with friends who mainly enjoy a good single-player game, it is difficult to play with others in Marathon.

For fans of Marathon's amazing aesthetic and design direction, there is also a new completely free rewards pass for all owners of the game. This NuCaloric-inspired pass won't be time-gated, either, so take as long as you need to collect all the pink-and-white goodies!

Overall, the Nightfall Refresh seems like a solid update to pave the way for December's Symbiosis and March 2027's updates, giving players a new start on Tau Ceti IV to "refresh" the experience.