Sony Interactive Entertainment announced Tuesday that the “Symbiosis” update for the PlayStation 5 game Marathon will launch on Dec. 8.
The update introduces an Open Play Week from Dec. 8 through Dec. 15, allowing players to experience the game. The patch adds new player-versus-environment (PvE) and player-versus-player (PvP) modes, along with new weapons and expanded exploration areas on the planet Tau Ceti IV.
The new PvE-only mode, called Expedition, features a three-run series where players can play solo or with a crew, according to the PlayStation Blog. The mode removes PvP threats and allows players to use “Flash Boosts” to shape their build during a run. The update also adds an experimental 3v3 Team Deathmatch beta, where two crews compete for points without risking their permanent equipment loadouts.
Symbiosis updates the game’s Perimeter zone, adding fungal growth, alien life and new playable spaces, including underground burrows and a submerged reservoir. Players will also encounter an enemy called the Tick Queen beneath the surface, the publisher said.
The update includes a new social space named Limbo, where players can meet, try out their equipment at shooting ranges, and fight one another in a dueling arena. Additionally, the patch introduces the V17 Flamethrower, a Maverick revolver, and a Bishop Runner shell designed as a blade-wielding robot.