Marathon has been continuing to drop tweaks, hotfixes, and updates since its early March release date to keep players engaged and to try and attract new gamers to the tough extraction shooter. The latest update just arrived and it makes another big change to reduce a big hurdle for more casual players.Marathon Adds One Free Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit Per WeekUpdate 1.0.6.2 is available now and includes a long list of tweaks for Marathon players to dig into. The biggest highlight though is a tweak to the item economy that gives all players one free Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit each week.To enter the Cryo Archive, players need to meet several requirements. One of the biggest hurdles for more casual players is that to enter the map your loadout needs to be worth at least 5,000 credits. That’s a lot of resources to put at risk for the average player, so many gamers just opt to sit out and never experience the Cryo Archive at all.Marathon is trying to put an end to that limitation by giving every player what is essentially one “free” or low risk trip to the Cryo Archive per week. This seems like a great benefit for more casual players and the only risk is that the competitive and serious spirit of the map could be compromised in some matches if players are able to enter without any real skin in the game.In addition to the Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit, here are some other highlights from the update:WeaponsWSTR Combat ShotgunIncreased damage from 78 to 85.Reduced critical multiplier from 1.15x to 1.05x.Slightly reduced the rate at which damage falls off.Added 75% damage bonus against AI targets.MIPS Slug Converter Prestige modFixed an issue that caused the slug to hit geometry when aiming around corners, vents, ladders, or nearby cover.Increased critical multiplier from 1.15x to 1.9x.Reduced projectile velocity and increased bullet drop.Reduced aim assist cone radius by 48%.User Interface and ExperienceFixed an issue causing the reinforced shield to use the incorrect base shield icon. The reinforce icon now correctly shows a “+” inside the shield.Fixed an issue causing the Armory HUD to disappear when hovering over offered items.Fixed an issue that was causing an empty space to show instead of a grid in the Overflow inventory screen.ContractsOutpostFixed an issue that could cause Runners to get stuck behind barriers in the Drone Wing while completing the Mida Truth/Lies 2/6 contract.ZonesCryo ArchiveAdded vent covers in Biostock and Preservation that prevent early access from the hub until security clearance 2 is unlocked. Security clearance 1 is needed to open the vents for those who infil on the Biostock or Preservation side.Developer Note: Our previous update began the process of ensuring teams cannot bypass the security doors separating the wings from one another without appropriate clearance, this patch continues that effort. We’ll continue to monitor and be on the lookout for more instances like this to ensure we keep spawns in a fair state.Fixed an issue that prevented scan terminals from reliably revealing battery locations on the map.For now, that should be just about everything players need to know about the latest update. Be sure to check back in the near future for more Marathon news and updates.Marathon is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles.The post Marathon Makes Big Change To Tempt Casual Players Into Endgame Map appeared first on VICE.