Cryo Archive is Marathon’s end-game PvPvE zone aboard the derelict UESC Marathon—not an ARG. The ARG was the community puzzle that came before the zone’s launch. In the activity, crews navigate six connected wings, raise Security Clearance, pursue one of seven keyed Vaults, and try to extract while UESC security and rival Runners threaten the run. Entry has strict requirements, and availability may rotate, so check the game client before planning a run.
What is Cryo Archive, and what is the goal?
Bungie describes Cryo Archive as a high-intensity, raid-style PvPvE activity built around security systems, Vault chases, and contested exfils. Its Marathon Dev Team summarizes the design as “raid-style puzzle solving and layered mechanics wrapped around brutal extraction stakes.” The ship’s six interconnected wings surround a central hub; crews search for frozen Vaults while contending with environmental security and other Runner teams. Bungie’s lore overview says 30,000 colonists were lost after the ship arrived in the Tau Ceti system; that number is background lore, not a gameplay statistic. Bungie’s Cryo Archive overview explains the activity and setting.
Your practical objective is to balance advancement against survival: build clearance, decide whether your crew can reach a Vault, and leave enough time to activate and reach an exfil. High-value loot only matters if you can get out with it.
What do you need to enter?
Bungie’s March 19, 2026 overview sets these queue requirements:
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- Runner Level 25.
- All six factions unlocked.
- At least 5,000 credits’ worth of equipped loadout gear. This is a gear-value threshold, not a fee charged to enter.
Qualifying players can also claim a one-time Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit. Requirements and availability can change, so verify the current rules in the game client.
How Security Clearance works
Clearance is a progression gate as well as a route-planning tool: Bungie says doors, supply rooms, and exfils require specific Security Clearance levels. Mobalytics’ guide reports that Security Tags add one point and hacked terminals add three; it also lists level 2 for Control and level 3 for strongbox rooms and standard exfil. Treat those exact point values and thresholds as update-sensitive, and confirm the current requirements at in-game doors and terminals. Mobalytics’ Cryo Archive map guide includes map views for clearance doors, Vaults, spawns, and exfils.
Collect tags and use terminals as you move rather than detouring blindly. A terminal can improve access, but interacting with it may expose your position or cost time; weigh that against your crew’s route and how close rivals may be.
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Vaults and the best loot locations
Bungie identifies seven Vaults, each with its own key and entry challenge or requirement. Vault keys may come from high-risk activities on other planets, locked Vaults, or defeated Runner crews. Vaults hold high-tier containers and unique gold weapons, making them the headline loot objective—but they are not guaranteed or low-risk stops.
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A practical route framework
- Orient in your spawn wing. Identify nearby resources and a route toward clearance progress. Avoid crossing exposed areas just to visit a distant marker before you know what your crew can access.
- Build clearance while moving. Pick up Security Tags and hack useful terminals when the risk and time cost make sense. Check doors and room prompts for their current clearance requirement.
- Choose a commitment. Head toward Control if your crew is ready to contest it, or pursue a Vault only if you have the necessary key and a plausible route. A Vault offers a higher loot ceiling but can demand more time and attract rival crews.
- Keep an exit window. Do not let a loot detour consume the time needed to reach an exfil. Mobalytics reports that activating a standard exfil involves scanning a terminal, after which an exfil elsewhere becomes active for 3 minutes 30 seconds; it also reports that only one standard exfil can be active at a time. These are secondary-source, update-sensitive details—check the current in-game prompt and timer.
Mobalytics recommends moving from wings toward Control, using upper routes to avoid exposed bridges, carrying batteries and coolant, and choosing fights selectively. These are tactical suggestions, not guarantees: use the map and your crew’s actual position to decide whether a safer detour, a fight, or an early exit is worth the trade-off.
How to choose between Control, a Vault, and extracting
| Choice | Potential payoff | What to check | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build clearance and move toward Control | Progress toward access and contested objectives | Current clearance requirement, route, and crew readiness | Exposure to UESC security and rival crews while moving through shared areas |
| Pursue a Vault | High-tier containers and a chance at unique gold weapons, according to Bungie | Correct key, entry challenge, clearance, distance, and time remaining | Time spent reaching and opening it, plus likely crew contact |
| Activate an exfil | A chance to secure what the crew has collected | Current activation rules, active extraction location, and timer | Contested approach and the possibility of losing time or loot before extraction |
The right choice is situational: compare loot ceiling and requirements with PvP exposure, UESC threat, travel time, and crew readiness. If your crew is short on time, under-equipped for a fight, or missing a Vault key, leaving with existing loot may be the stronger run.
Rank #4
- Four-player madness! - You can't spell Nippon Marathon without 'P', 'A', 'R', 'T' and *checks letters* 'I', we suppose… Solo play is supported, but grab up to four pads and enjoy the supreme silliness of gaming's greatest marathon.
- See all of Japan! - Cross the entirety of the land of Nippon in a series of creative courses spanning busy city streets, village lanes, bustling markets & more!
- Wacky characters! - Go toe-to-toe with some of the coolest contestants who ever did, er… contest! Lobster-man J DARWIN, onesie-obsessive Elizabeth Nishibori, school uniform fan Zenbei "Xen Bae" and the completely normal Snuguru Maestro Epic pratfalls! - Swinging poles! Giant face-slapping fish! Cyclists! Shiba Inu! Panes of glass! Traffic! False doors! Barrels! Rolling beams! Wobbly planks! Flying fruit! More Shiba Inu! EARTHQUAKES!!!!!
- Tons of surprises! - You never know what will happen next in Nippon Marathon. Perhaps you'll find time for an impromptu spot of slot machine fun? Maybe a news anchor will jetpack in to interview you on the racetrack? Heck, anything is possible…
- Drop-in/drop-out play! - Random pedestrian passing by your couch and wants to play? Not a problem. Whatever the cause, hop in and out for the ultimate, flexible party get-together!
When is Cryo Archive available?
Bungie’s March 2026 launch overview said Cryo Archive opened on weekends beginning March 20, 2026. Mobalytics listed a Thursday 10 AM PT to Sunday 10 AM PT window. Those dated schedules do not confirm the October 2026 rotation or any later change; check the in-game activity listing for the current opening and queue requirements.
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