Marathon Contract Progression Timeline — Season 1
Complete Welcome to Tau Ceti first to unlock all six faction Liaison Contracts. Prioritize NuCaloric for shields, then CyberAcme for vault space. Five phases cover every Liaison, Priority, Standard, and Boosted contract in optimal completion order, with single-run warnings and faction-specific routing.
- Factions
- 6
- Liaison Contracts
- 6 (permanent unlocks)
- Priority Chains
- 15+ steps across all factions
- Season Reset
- ~3 months (Liaisons persist)
- Data updated
All Season 1 Contracts
| PHASE | CONTRACT | TYPE | FACTION | MAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHASE 0 | Welcome to Tau Ceti [1/2] | PRIORITY | CyAc | Perimeter |
| PHASE 0 | Welcome to Tau Ceti [2/2] | PRIORITY | CyAc | Perimeter |
| PHASE 1 | Introducing: NuCaloric1-RUN | LIAISON | NuCal | Perimeter — The Columns |
| PHASE 1 | Introducing: Traxus1-RUN | LIAISON | Trx | Dire Marsh |
| PHASE 1 | Introducing: MIDA | LIAISON | MIDA | Any zone |
| PHASE 1 | Introducing: Arachne | LIAISON | Arc | Any zone (PvP required) |
| PHASE 1 | Introducing: Sekiguchi1-RUN | LIAISON | SekGen | Outpost |
| PHASE 2 | Survival Directive1-RUN | PRIORITY | NuCal | Perimeter |
| PHASE 2 | Data Reconstruction [1/3 → 3/3]1-RUN | PRIORITY | NuCal | Perimeter (1–2) → Dire Marsh (3/3) |
| PHASE 2 | Equitable Distribution [1/4 → 4/4]1-RUN | PRIORITY | Trx | Perimeter → Dire Marsh |
| PHASE 2 | Order/Chaos1-RUN | PRIORITY | MIDA | Dire Marsh — Complex → Maintenance |
| PHASE 2 | Truth/Lies [1/6]1-RUN | PRIORITY | MIDA | Outpost |
| PHASE 2 | The Fleeting Grave | PRIORITY | Arc | Any zone |
| PHASE 2 | Parasitism [1/2 → 2/2]1-RUN | PRIORITY | SekGen | Outpost |
| PHASE 3 | NuCaloric Standards1-RUN | STANDARD | NuCal | Perimeter / Dire Marsh |
| PHASE 3 | CyberAcme Standards1-RUN | STANDARD | CyAc | Any |
| PHASE 3 | Traxus Standards1-RUN | STANDARD | Trx | Any |
| PHASE 3 | MIDA Standards1-RUN | STANDARD | MIDA | Any |
| PHASE 3 | Sekiguchi Standards1-RUN | STANDARD | SekGen | Outpost (primarily) |
| PHASE 3 | Arachne Standards1-RUN | STANDARD | Arc | Any (PvP-focused) |
| PHASE 4 | Boosted Contract Decision Framework1-RUN | BOOSTED | All | All maps |
21 contracts
Data from post-launch play, March 5–8, 2026. Boosted Contract rep multipliers and some Priority steps still being documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first contract I should complete in Marathon?
Welcome to Tau Ceti [1/2] and [2/2] are the mandatory entry contracts from CyberAcme. Both must be completed before any Liaison Contracts unlock. They take place on the Perimeter map and require defeating 3 UESC enemies and sabotaging a comms antenna.
Which Liaison Contract should I do first?
NuCaloric first — the Introducing: NuCaloric Liaison Contract unlocks shields (Protector V1 implant) immediately on completion. Shields are the biggest early power spike in Marathon. Complete it before Traxus or MIDA.
Do Liaison Contracts reset each season?
No. Liaison Contract completions are permanent and do not reset with the seasonal wipe (approximately every 3 months). Standard and Priority contract progress resets each season, but the six faction unlock completions carry over permanently.
What does Single Run mean on a contract?
Single Run means all objectives must be completed within a single deployment. Dying or extracting before finishing resets the contract entirely. Contracts without this restriction allow progress to accumulate across multiple runs and deaths.
Which faction should I grind first in Marathon Season 1?
NuCaloric first for shields (Rank 5 = Shielded, +20 HP green shields), then CyberAcme for vault expansion (Rank 3). MIDA for the Ammo Crate early in the tree. Traxus for the Longshot Sniper at Rank 9. Arachne and Sekiguchi require more preparation and PvP confidence.