Marathon Season 2 Debuts PvP-Lite Mode Amid Gear Wipe

Marathon Season 2 kicks off with a complete gear wipe and a free-to-play first week, introducing a new PvP-lite mode called Sponsored Survival where players infiltrate Night Marsh solo or in duos, facing drones and new enemies before a timed exfil. Rooks will backfill loot later, and players must decide whether to ally or clash during the run, which ends when the exfil opens after an 18-minute timer. The mode is experimental and may fragment queues, and Bungie hints at a dedicated PvE mode later in Season 2, though some players doubt PvPvE will satisfy the core narrative.