When is ranked mode coming to Marathon?

Worry not: Ranked mode is coming to Marathon soon, but unfortunately, it isn't available on launch. While the first season has plenty of content, some features are time-gated, including ranked mode and Cryo Archive, the fourth zone and endgame area.

Here's everything we know about ranked mode in Marathon and when we expect the release date and time to be.

Marathon ranked mode release date and time

At the time of writing, we only know that ranked mode is coming during the "second half of March." Given that Marathon launched on Thursday, March 5, it may be logical to think Thursday will be the game's designated update day. Therefore, our educated prediction is that ranked mode will come on either March 19 or 26 — exactly two or three weeks after launch respectively — and it'll likely release at 1 p.m. EST, as that's when the game launched, as did the Server Slam.

What to expect from ranked mode in Marathon

Expect ranked mode to be an even more unforgiving, hardcore environment, compared to the base game. We know there'll be various ranked ladders, and the more valuable the loot you exfil with, the faster you'll climb. Whether engaging in combat and getting kills influences your rank is unconfirmed. Ranked mode will also have "exclusive rewards each season," according to this Bungie blog post.

A ranked mode leak recently surfaced from a prominent leaker in other games including Marvel Rivals and Overwatch. They claim that in order to play ranked, players must ensure their loadout matches or exceeds the "gear ante," aka the value of your equipment. A holotag must also be purchased, which sets a specific score target, and unless you beat that target, your run will not count towards your progress.

Your score target will vary depending on your rank, which will progress in the following order: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Pinnacle. As you progress to higher ranks, you'll need to reach higher score targets to earn points and rank up.

All of this is subject to change, however, as this hasn't been officially communicated by Bungie yet. As soon as we know more, we'll update this page with more information.

Tackling some of the priority contracts in Marathon? Check out our guides to "Introducing: Traxus" and "Survival Directive."