Marathon is launching its Vault Breaker PvE experimental mode today, a type of run that removes all opposing teams, sends players into its hardest map in groups of 1-3 and earn items that have almost nothing to do with the larger extraction game.
What is Vault Breaker? A brief summary:
- Players can load in solo, in duos or in trios to the Cryo map.
- Players will be tasked with fighting through the various vaults in that map using at least some of the existing puzzle mechanics. The final boss will be the Compiler from the normal Cryo mode.
- Players will start with an existing kit specifically for the mode.
- Weapons and gear will be looted throughout the run, but cannot be extracted.
- Rather, currency will be extracted that can be used either to upgrade Vault Breaker kits or abilities, or it can be used to purchase rotating store items that can be used in any mode, including the normal extraction modes.
- In addition to its own specific mode tree, players will still be using Vendor and Cradle upgrades as well.
I’ve said before that PvE modes are the last card that Marathon has to play in any meaningful capacity, having tried to dramatically reduce barriers to entry of the extraction mode to new/less intense players. It also has had several instances of the game being freely available that did not result in dramatically increased numbers, meaning going free-to-play wouldn’t do much.
Today’s release is sort of a half-measure, however, an idea that was not supposed to originally occur this early in the game’s lifespan. There are some catches about this being “the” PvE moment, however:
- As stated, this is an experimental mode. This has not been ages in development and therefore is not going to be intensely fleshed-out at this point.
- This is a two-week trial, meaning a limited window to play, not a permanent part of the game players will necessarily get ultra-invested in as a result.
- There is an “actual” PvE mode coming in season 3, which was a surprise announcement recently, meaning something larger, and more freely available is coming. Right now, players must already own the game to test this PvE mode, but it stands to reason there will be some sort of free weekend again to open this up for a broader test to the unconvinced when the full mode launches.
When the “real” PvE mode is out, that is sort of the final test for the concept here. Sure, I think we can learn plenty from the reception and population increases of this experimental mode, but it is not the fully produced concept yet.
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