Marathon Update 1.0.6 adds Stay Together crews, beginner contracts, and railgun buffs

Bungie shipped Marathon Update 1.0.6 on April 14, 2026, and it is more than a small balance pass. The patch adds a new C.A.R.R.I. reinforcement initiative, a Stay Together feature that lets successful exfil partners immediately form a new Crew, and a batch of beginner-only contracts on the Perimeter map for players under Seasonal Level 12.

The update also sneaks in several quality-of-life changes that directly affect everyday matches. Bungie added a toggle-to-open option for voice chat, made Signal Jammers purchasable from the Armory, and adjusted exfil timing so non-final exfils collapse to the session timer in the last 10 seconds. Bungie explicitly said the goal there is to make last-second escapes feel fairer instead of showing an exfil animation that does not actually count in the run report.

New C.A.R.R.I. commendations reward solo objective completion, Rook exfils, and helping other players

Stay Together creates a new Crew from runners who just exfiled successfully

Perimeter (Beginner) is now a solos-only onboarding map available through Seasonal Level 12

Solo players get more runner level and faction reputation gains

Signal Jammers are now sold in the Armory, and voice chat gets a toggle-to-open option

The biggest mechanical changes land in the weapon sandbox. All railguns no longer auto-fire at full charge, charged shots can be held indefinitely, and the Zeus RG plus Ares RG both get faster charge times and bigger magazines. Bungie also tuned SMGs, reduced rapid-fire accuracy on the Longshot sniper, adjusted the Biotoxic Disinjector's ammo and grenade profile, and added three new chip families across all rarities.

Update 1.0.6 also leans harder into non-hostile or at least less hostile interaction. Mercy Kits can revive downed enemy runners, depleted self-revive kits spawn in solo play, and the new Pacesetter Codex challenges focus on collaborative objectives. That fits the broader tone of the patch: Bungie is trying to make Marathon less punishing at the edges while still widening the loot and weapon chase.

/r/Games treated the post like a real systems patch rather than a marketing beat because the notes are packed with numbers, level gates, and specific weapon changes. If Bungie is trying to steady the early live balance of Marathon, Update 1.0.6 is the clearest sign yet of where that tuning is headed.