I pressed flat to shattered glass and watched a rival runner rip open a crate. The Lockbox inside felt like a train I’d missed — heavy with gear and gone before I could blink. If you want to walk away richer than you arrived, you need the Lockbox Key.
I’ve spent dozens of runs learning how keys appear, disappear and get traded for credits. You and I both know the difference between scoring a chest and walking away empty-handed; this guide gives the exact moves that tilt odds in your favor.
How to open Lockboxes in Marathon
You’ve seen red, industrial buildings with smashed windows in every rust-belt neighborhood — the Southern Array’s red office is exactly that. To open a Lockbox you must have a Lockbox Key in your inventory; there’s no hack, no hotkey, just the item itself.
How do I get a Lockbox Key in Marathon?
Short answer: find one on the map or buy it from the Armory after you meet the requirements. Keys spawn in large compounds — I’ve had the most luck in the Southern Array’s red building with smashed windows and an office area on the upper floors. Boss drops, like rewards from the Warden, can also include keys.
Can I buy Lockbox Keys?
Yes. Once you level the CyberAcme faction to Rank 5, the Armory offers a Keymaker perk. It costs about a couple thousand credits to unlock that perk, after which it periodically grants free keys and lets you purchase additional keys for cheap. Even a bad run usually nets enough credits to buy several.
Do Lockbox Keys stay with me if I die?
No safe-pocket feature exists in Marathon like the extraction mechanics in ARC Raiders; if you die with a key it is permanently lost. DCON boxes appear tied to quests and cannot be used to extract Lockbox Keys before a match ends, so treat keys as fragile valuables.
Where to find Lockbox Keys
High-traffic compounds can feel like walking a flea market at night — loud, crowded and full of hidden bargains. The most reliable public spawn I’ve noticed is the Southern Array’s red office block; check upper rooms and smashed-window alcoves. Boss encounters, notably the Warden, sometimes drop keys as a reward, so prioritize those fights if you need a key fast.
If you’re short on credits, flipping low-value loot between runs funds a Keymaker purchase in a few sessions. Remember the trade-off: spending credits on keys increases your chance at higher-tier items, while hoarding credits keeps you safer on paper.
Higher-level Lockboxes need upgraded keys, like the Deluxe Key, so don’t waste basic keys on boxes that promise small returns. Treat rare keys like single-use tickets: plan the raid, pick the box worth the risk, and move fast.
Platforms and systems to watch: the Armory menu, your CyberAcme faction progress, and map hotspots where boss spawns converge. If you follow those signals closely you’ll move from lucky runs to predictable gains.
Ready to gamble on a red office or buy your way into better runs — which would you choose and why?