- Primary Subject: Marathon (Solo Queue / Solo Guide)
- Key Update: Bungie confirmed Marathon supports solo play, but it’s designed as a high-risk mode since you’ll face squads, PvE pressure, and hazards alone.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 23, 2026
- Quick Answer: Yes, you can play Marathon solo, but it’s harder than co-op because you’ll face squads and PvE threats alone, while keeping all loot if you extract.
Going solo in Marathon is one of the fastest ways to learn what Bungie’s extraction shooter is really about.
Although Marathon is designed for three-player crews, Bungie confirmed you can enter Tau Ceti solo, and if you make it out alive, all the loot is yours.
The trade-off is that solo play doesn’t go easy on you, since you’ll still be juggling enemy teams, erratic player behavior, AI pressure, and environmental dangers all at once, making every decision riskier.
If you’re planning to play Marathon solo, here’s what you need to know to survive longer, extract more often, and build the right Runner for the job.
Can You Play Solo in Marathon?
Solo play in Marathon is absolutely possible, but it’s designed to feel like a high-risk, high-reward version of the game rather than the “default” way to play.
Bungie built Marathon around three-player crews, meaning teamwork, shared roles, and coordination are meant to be your biggest survival advantage when you drop into Tau Ceti IV.
However, Bungie has confirmed through its official FAQ and gameplay presentations that you can still queue up alone and operate independently as a solo Runner, similar to the “rogue” feeling of entering a dangerous zone without support in other extraction-style shooters.
Going solo means you keep all the loot, objective rewards, and extraction profit for yourself, but you’ll still be queuing into matches where other players may be running in organized squads.
In a typical match setup, there are 18 players total, which normally translates into multiple three-player teams competing across the map, and as a solo you’re essentially accepting the challenge of surviving in a world built around group threats.
This is exactly why Bungie frames solo runs as an added difficulty option. You can do it, but it is meant to test how well you handle pressure without backup, and even small mistakes can end your run since nobody is there to revive, heal, or cover you while you recover.
Why Does Solo Feel Harder in Marathon Compared to Co-op?
To survive consistently as a solo player, you need to understand Marathon’s core loop and why it feels harsher alone since it’s a PvPvE extraction shooter where the threats aren’t only other players.
You’ll be scavenging hostile zones for loot and completing jobs while also dealing with AI enemies, traps, and environmental hazards that can apply status effects or leave you vulnerable at the worst times.
Bungie has teased dangerous PvE elements such as UESC security units and aggressive small bots, and certain enemies (including the teased “Ghost Commander”) could become a major solo threat simply because they drain your ammo, resources, and attention while other players remain the real wildcard.
Exploding enemies and nests you’re required to destroy add extra danger, because environmental PvE can trigger noisy battles that alert other teams.
That’s where solo difficulty becomes real because in a crew, teammates can split duties like clearing PvE, watching angles, and healing or running support, while solo players have to do everything at once, making every encounter more punishing.
Bungie’s darker extraction direction relies on environmental storytelling and persistent world details such as decaying bodies, creating an atmosphere that pushes players to stay cautious and on guard.
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