{"id":12491,"date":"2026-03-11T13:38:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2026\/03\/11\/marathon-update-1-0-0-4-makes-uesc-easier-but-bungie-insists-it-will-not-change-direction-on-friction-the-ai-enemies-provide\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:38:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:38:05","slug":"marathon-update-1-0-0-4-makes-uesc-easier-but-bungie-insists-it-will-not-change-direction-on-friction-the-ai-enemies-provide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2026\/03\/11\/marathon-update-1-0-0-4-makes-uesc-easier-but-bungie-insists-it-will-not-change-direction-on-friction-the-ai-enemies-provide\/","title":{"rendered":"Marathon Update 1.0.0.4 Makes UESC Easier, but Bungie Insists It Will Not Change Direction on \u2018Friction\u2019 the AI Enemies Provide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/section>\n

Marathon<\/a> has its first post-launch patch, which makes a number of important balance changes.<\/p>\n

Marathon Update 1.0.0.4 makes changes that make the extraction shooter slightly easier, following feedback from some players that it is too hard due to the sparseness of ammo and healing items, as well as the toughness of the enemy AI.<\/p>\n

The patch increases the number of Med Cabinets and Munitions Crates that can spawn on Perimeter, the starting map, increases the amount of starting ammo in MIDA, CyberAcme, and Arachne free Sponsored Kits, and reduced the frequency that UESC Grenadiers drop EMP grenades.<\/p>\n

<\/section>\n

For combat, the range that gunfire and explosions can be heard from is increased. Specifically on UESC, Marathon\u2019s AI enemies, health of most UESC enemies and shield hp of UESC bosses is reduced by a small amount.<\/p>\n

Perhaps in anticipation of Marathon\u2019s hardcore fans criticizing Bungie for catering to casual players, the developer added a note with this change to reassure them that enemy AI will still present a stiff challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this change we hope to alleviate some of the resource burden in both Solos and Crews when it comes to engaging UESC in combat,\u201d Bungie said. \u201cThe goal here is to allow your bullets and meds to go further without reducing too much of the UESCs bite. We see the feedback loud and clear that players appreciate the friction that our UESC combatants provide and we have no plans to change that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, Bungie community chief Cosmo tweeted<\/a> to say the UESC enemies \u201cwill still f**k you up,\u201d in response to concern that this patch is a reaction to some who say Marathon is too hard.<\/p>\n

<\/section>\n

As for weapons, thermal scopes are nerfed, and Overrun has increased default ammo capacity. Crucially, the promised rewards pass and store changes<\/a> are now in place.<\/p>\n

The patch comes amid significant debate about the success or otherwise of Marathon, which is a crucial release for Bungie following significant financial issues that even studio owner Sony itself has highlighted. We don\u2019t have player numbers from Sony or Microsoft, but on Steam, Marathon hit a peak player concurrent figure of 88,337. Marathon appears to be holding relatively steady on Valve\u2019s platform. But we do not have a sales figure for Marathon, and no comment yet from either Sony or Bungie on whether it\u2019s meeting expectations. Are people bouncing off Marathon because of how hard it is? Are some put off by its steep learning curve?<\/p>\n

Marathon Update 1.0.0.4 patch notes:<\/h2>\n

Item Economy<\/strong><\/h3>\n