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Start with CyberAcme if you want one default answer. Its reward tree covers economy, Vault space, backpack storage and Heat Capacity, which help nearly every run. After that, choose the next faction by the upgrade you need most rather than by a fixed ranking. Factions are progression providers, not permanent allegiances, so you can move between them as your build and playstyle change.
The six factions and what each one rewards
Marathon has six factions: CyberAcme, NuCaloric, Traxus, MIDA, Arachne and Sekiguchi Genetics. Bungie’s launch announcement confirms all six are part of the game. Each one offers contracts and unlocks that point toward a different kind of gear or ability, so the useful comparison is which reward tree fills your next gap.
| Faction | Main reward focus | Prioritize it when |
|---|---|---|
| CyberAcme | Economy, Vault space, backpacks, Heat Capacity | You want a broad opening investment in resources and storage. |
| NuCaloric | Survival supplies, shields, Patch Kits, self-repair and status mitigation | Staying alive and replenishing defensive resources are your main concerns. |
| Traxus | Weapons, weapon mods, TAD and pings | You want more weapon and mod options. |
| MIDA | Explosives, traps, implants, Agility | Mobility and explosive utility matter most to your runs. |
| Arachne | Weapons, mods, implants, melee, Finisher Siphon | Melee effectiveness is a priority. |
| Sekiguchi Genetics | Cores, implants, Prime and Tactical ability cooldowns | You want cores for a specific Shell or more frequent ability use. |
These reward profiles follow Mobalytics’ faction guide, updated June 2, 2026. Item availability and upgrade effects can change with patches, so treat the table as a map of focus areas rather than a list of guaranteed items.
Where to start: CyberAcme
CyberAcme is the most sensible first investment for most players because its upgrades touch the whole run rather than one combat style. Mobalytics recommends starting there and highlights Vault space and Heat Capacity as the main draws.
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PC Gamer’s guide by Rory Norris, dated March 5, 2026, gives two concrete examples. Heat_Sink.exe is listed as a +20 Heat Capacity upgrade. The first Expansion upgrade, available at CyberAcme Rank 3, is listed as +8 Vault space. That guide was written before Bungie’s June 2026 progression patch, so check both the rank and the values in your own game before planning around them.
Choosing your next faction
After CyberAcme, the order depends on what is limiting your runs. Use these picks as a starting point.
Rank #2
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- NuCaloric if survival is the bottleneck. PC Gamer’s March 2026 guide lists Safeguard for daily Shield Charges and Restore for daily Patch Kits, and says Shielded unlocks Enhanced Shield Implants.
- Sekiguchi Genetics if your preferred Shell benefits from its cores or from faster Prime and Tactical ability cooldowns.
- Traxus if you want to expand your weapon and weapon mod options.
- MIDA if explosives, traps, implants and Agility fit how you move and fight.
- Arachne if melee is central to your playstyle, including Finisher Siphon.
Three questions that decide the order
Most choices come down to three trade-offs. Answer them in order and the faction usually becomes clear.
- Survival or offense? NuCaloric supports staying alive. Traxus, MIDA and Arachne push weapons, mobility and combat utility.
- Economy and storage or gear access? CyberAcme improves resources and carrying capacity. Traxus and Arachne are more directly about the weapons and mods you use.
- Short-term or persistent progress? Faction levels reset each season, but liaison contract progress carries over. Invest seasonal effort where the reward changes your next runs, and treat persistent progress as the part that keeps paying off.
Contract rules that changed the math
Several older faction guides describe rank gates and slow Standard-contract reputation that no longer apply. Two Bungie patch notes matter most here.
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Update 1.1.0, dated June 2, 2026, says Standard contracts now award significantly more faction reputation. The first five contracts completed each week receive a flat bonus, and unused weekly bonuses roll over and stack. Bungie also removed faction-rank requirements from Priority contracts and tuned some contract difficulty down. The patch notes do not publish a numeric value for the flat bonus, so track your own weekly progress to see how much it adds.
The first 5 contracts completed each week will award a flat amount of bonus Faction rep.
Marathon Dev Team, Marathon Update 1.1.0, June 2, 2026Rank #4
Nippon Marathon (Nintendo Switch)
- 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!
Update 1.0.6 came earlier. It increased Runner Level and faction reputation earning for solo players and raised Standard-contract reputation for all players. It also introduced the C.A.R.R.I. Armory, which offers faction Reputation Packs in exchange for CyberAcme Commendations, so CyberAcme effort can feed other factions’ progress.
The practical result is that you no longer need to level a faction to access its Priority contracts, which removes the old reason to rush one faction before another.
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Bungie says each season resets gear, contract progression, faction progression and player level. Achievements, earned and paid cosmetics, titles, Codex progression and liaison contract progression carry over. You do not need to unlock the factions again at the start of a new season.
That split shapes the choice. Faction reputation is a seasonal investment, so spend it on rewards you will use this season. Liaison progress persists, so it is the part to watch if you care about long-term unlocks. These statements reflect Bungie’s season documentation and the guides above, which date from March through June 2026. If a newer season has started since then, confirm the live faction board in-game before committing.
Quick Recap
When to switch factions
- Switch when your current faction stops offering the reward you need, such as after you get the storage or survival upgrade you were chasing.
- Reassess after each major unlock, Shell change or season start.
- Do not follow a universal tier list. A faction that is ideal for one Shell may be a weak choice for another.
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