I’ve sat through more than a few runs where the default CyberAcme emblem felt like a dare. You boot in with one faction and the world quietly rewards curiosity. The first time a faction reward landed for me, it hit like finding a hidden circuit board in an old radio.
I’ll walk you through every faction in Marathon, how you get them, and how to push their ranks fast so you can start each run with better gear and options. You’ll get practical steps, small tricks I use on Steam and Reddit, and what to skip when time is tight.
On my desk I taped screenshots and route notes; How to unlock all factions in Marathon
Disclaimer: For Server Slam, Sekiguchi cannot be obtained. You’ll have to wait for full launch to access it as the sixth faction.
You always begin with CyberAcme available. The other five factions appear as you clear early objectives and perform specific actions on Tau Ceti IV. Below is a compact table with the necessary steps — some are obvious, others demand timing and accuracy.
| Faction | How to unlock |
|---|---|
| CyberAcme | Available by default. Complete Welcome to Tau Ceti 1 and Welcome to Tau Ceti 2 to progress toward other factions. |
| NuCaloric | Find the NuCal employee ID in a building east of Overflow. Download employee data from the nearby workstation. |
| Traxus | Hack a terminal at Intersection, Complex, or Bio-Research. Acquire the Shipping Manifest from a UESC Commander, then scan the stacked shipping container before it departs. |
| Mida | Defeat 15 UESC across Tau Ceti IV and smash 20 glass panes across the map to trigger faction recognition. |
| Arachne | Deal 60 total damage to enemy Runners and down an enemy runner to earn Arachne’s favor. |
| Sekiguchi | Inject the Necrotic Sample in Southern Flight Control and scan your shell in a southeastern Orientation. (Not available in Server Slam.) |
How do I get all factions in Marathon?
Use the table above as your checklist. Start every run by finishing the Welcome to Tau Ceti tutorials to clear early gates, then focus a run on a single faction objective: find the ID for NuCaloric, hack for Traxus, or spend a run smashing glass for Mida. Treat each run as a small mission rather than trying to do everything at once.
When you’ve opened more factions, you’ll see extra armory options and upgrade paths before launching new runs — that’s where the real planning pays off.
At a late-night stream I watched contracts pile up; How to rank up factions in Marathon
Ranking a faction is not automatic. You gain faction-specific Rep by taking and finishing contracts. You can only run one contract at a time for a faction, and team contracts give bonus Rep when completed successfully.
Some contracts pay much more Rep but demand tighter mechanical play. If you’re short on time, pick the contracts that fit your comfort zone and stack small wins — team contracts are the fastest path to steady gains. Ranking feels like learning a new language—each contract teaches you a different grammar of combat.
How do you rank up factions in Marathon?
Take contracts and finish them. Solo contracts give Rep, team contracts add a bonus. Target higher-paying contracts when you’re confident, and rotate through factions so you always have choices at the armory before a run.
Can I access Sekiguchi in Server Slam?
No. Sekiguchi is gated from Server Slam. You must wait for the full launch to gain that sixth faction.
If you want a short plan to follow: pick one faction per session, complete its objective, then chase team contracts for Rep. Want to argue which faction actually changes the meta more — Traxus shipping plays, Arachne runner fights, or Mida brute force — which will you bet on?