Marathon Just Became Helldivers 2 With Cryo Race To Kill Bots

"The new location is currently locked until players solve an ARG, which seemingly includes killing a cumulative 500 million UESC security forces across all runs. There is in fact a very cool website that's tracking players' progress so far. The "kill count" is currently at 315,093,135, leaving just under 185 million toasters left to pull the plug on."

"A conservative estimate would suggest that at the current kill rate the eventual live game update could take another week to trigger. It's possible the community event was calibrated for many more players at launch, or maybe Bungie has a few more wrinkles to throw at players as the weekend approaches."

"If this is all sounding a little reminiscent of Helldivers 2's evolving galactic warfare, well, yes. Logging on and being asked to kill millions of bugs or automatons to take back a planet at a key inflexion point has become old hat for that extraction shooter's community."

Marathon's upcoming Cryo Archive map serves as a challenging end-game pinnacle activity that cannot be accessed through standard menu selection. Instead, players must complete an alternate reality game (ARG) requiring a cumulative 500 million UESC security force eliminations across all runs. A tracking website shows current progress at 315,093,135 kills, leaving approximately 185 million remaining. Since the game launched March 5, the current kill rate suggests the unlock could take another week, extending beyond the weekend timeline fans anticipated. The community event may have been calibrated for higher player counts at launch, or Bungie might introduce additional mechanics to accelerate progress as the weekend approaches.

Read at Kotaku