Marathon Guide: A deep dive into Factions and their contracts

Marathon features a roster of different factions that Runners can complete contracts for in order to gain their favour. Here is a breakdown of the factions and what contracts they can provide for Runners.

CyberAcme

CyberAcme Systems Inc is at the forefront of technological advancements and hardware. They created the infrastructure that allows human consciousness to be transferred into the Runner Shells that you play as in Marathon. CyberAcme monetises this system, and its contracts focus on sending a Runner to audit Tau Ceti IV and collect resources to keep CyberAcme systems functioning. In return, CyberAcme offers Runner shell upgrades, such as larger inventory space.

CyberAcme is the first faction that I recommend levelling up entirely, as they can provide extra cool downs, meaning you can charge abilities faster and run out of stamina less quickly, a must-have for beginners.

The face of CyberAcme is Oni, a support AI that takes the form of a large, slightly off-putting head reminiscent of something you would see in the Bladerunner universe.

Nucaloric

Nucaloric Agricultural is the faction that provides food, clothing, and basic supplies around the world and to the (now fallen) Tau Ceti IV colony. Nucaloric wishes to understand what happened to the colony that was on Tau Ceti IV, and to do so, their contracts revolve around exploring and gathering items from across the colony. Runners are rewarded with mostly health-oriented items such as free daily shield charges, patch kits, and regen head implant upgrades.

If you are struggling to find any shield charges on Tau Ceti IV, I recommend levelling up NuCaloric to receive shield charges, patch kits and shield upgrades for your Shell.

Gaius is the face of Nucaloric. He is a large pink figure whose motives are slightly askew. It seems as if Nucaloric knows more about the fall of the Tau Ceti IV colony than they are letting on...

Traxus

Traxus OffWorld Industries is a rich mega-corporation that uses its wealth and power to influence Tau Ceti IV. The contracts that are supplied to Runners from Traxus focus on accruing high-value weaponry and equipment that have been scattered across the colony. Traxus only values the boldest and most daring Runners, as the high-value extractions place targets on their heads. In return for this bravery, Traxus rewards Runners with weapon upgrades and deluxe modifications for guns.

Traxus and its contracts can be great for those who want to invest in high-power weapons and modifications, a great faction for those who want to invest in their gear.

Traxus is controlled by the handler Vulcan, who maintains a tight leash on the company at all times.

Mida

Mida started as a group of Revolutionaries who opposed the treatment of the colonies by the UESC. This mission grew into the Mida that we see in Marathon, a group that focuses on sabotaging the UESC through cybercrime and disruption. The contracts from Mida involve destroying assets and uploading malware onto the systems throughout Tau Ceti IV.

Mida is a faction for Runners whose playstyles are dangerous, disruptive and tactical. They can provide bombs and other disruptive weaponry. EMPs and PVP are central to Mida and will not be suitable for players who want a defensive, loot-safe run.

The handler of Mida is Gantry, an individual who speaks in fragmented and broken submissions in order to evade the UESC.

Arachne

Undoubtedly the scariest faction on this list, Arachne is a death cult working from the outskirts of Tau Ceti IV. They are motivated by one thing only: death and the data they can harvest from that. The contracts from Arachne involve kill streaks and eliminations of enemy Runners.

Arachne's contracts can be high reward with significant intel warning you about nearby enemy squads, perfect for a solo run. They are not the best faction for weaponry or skill building, and therefore,they should only really be accessed by experienced runners

The face of Arachne is Charter, a god-like figure whose multiple arms hold weaponry and even the heart of a UESC soldier.

Sekiguchi

Sekiguichi is the company that is responsible for the technology that is used to create the shells that the Runners use on Tau Ceti IV. Sekiguci are interested in the biological; they want to study the limits of humanity, and this is what their contracts revolve around. Retrieval and endurance are the main aims of Sekiguchi's contracts, and Runners are rewarded with enhancements to their biology, such as bleed downtime and reduced cooldowns.

Sekiguichi is known as the most malevolent faction, pushing the limits of human biology. Their contracts are dangerous, pushing Runners into hazardous conditions and areas that are high risk (but definitely high reward). They can provide you with excellent upgrades in damage resistance and health regeneration, but their contracts can prove difficult for inexperienced Runners.

Nona, represented by her Weaveworm avatar, is the face of Sekiguichi. She highlights the biological advancements in Weaveworm technology that are central to Sekiguich's business.