Marathon Vault Breaker runs from 20 October to 10 November 2026. Bungie’s returning Cryo Archive PvE activity gives players sponsored equipment and Vault Data to spend on Armory rewards, with smaller weekly stock limits confirmed in Update 1.1.9.5.
Reward timing is worth paying attention to. Some weapons and keys are available only in the second and third weeks, while six repeatable Tier 1 offers have had their weekly stock reduced.
Marathon Vault Breaker: The October return date
Bungie’s 20 October patch confirms the 10 November end, superseding the 9 November date in its older 1.1.9.2 notes. This is a separate PvE activity rather than the weekend’s rotating sponsored Perimeter, Marsh or Night Marsh extraction queue.
How to join Vault Breaker
Select the Vault Breaker activity to explore Cryo Archive with a sponsored kit. You can play solo or with a crew and work through increasingly difficult Vaults. The provided gear means you’re not staking your usual high-value loadout, although surviving the run still matters.
What you keep after extracting
The key reward to extract is Vault Data, which pays for kit upgrades and Armory offers. Most equipment found in the activity stays there rather than becoming ordinary loot you carry into another mode. Plan around extracting with currency instead of assuming every gun you pick up is yours to keep.
Marathon Vault Breaker Tier 1 Armory stock
| Tier 1 Armory item | Previous per week | New per week |
|---|---|---|
| Materials Pack 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Materials Pack 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Cryo Archive Key Template | 3 | 1 |
| Deluxe weapon | 3 | 2 |
| Deluxe Backpack | 3 | 2 |
| Deluxe Shield Implant | 3 | 2 |
Six Tier 1 repeatable stocks are lower in 1.1.9.5: Materials Pack 1 and 2 each went from five to two per week; Cryo Archive Key Template went from three to one; and Deluxe weapon, Backpack and Shield Implant each went from three to two. The table above shows the before-and-after counts.
Marathon Vault Breaker: Which Tier 2 items arrive later?
Vault Keys 4, 5 and 6 are available for purchase only during weeks two and three, as are DRRVISH, Salt Wages, Omnipositor, Biotoxic Disinjector and Biotoxic Disinjector Ammo. All kit upgrades are purchasable from the first week, giving you something useful to spend on before the later offers open.
Marathon Vault Breaker solo currency bonus
Solo Runners earn 50% more Tier 1 and Tier 2 event currency. Monitor scan XP is reduced by 50%, and certain Tier 3 standard contract objectives cannot be completed in the mode. Those restrictions are part of Bungie’s event rules rather than a problem with your progress.
Buying the best upgrades first
Start with upgrades that help you survive long enough to extract, then decide which weekly Tier 1 rewards you want most. If you are saving for Vault Keys 4 to 6 or one of the named Tier 2 offers, check that you are in its second-or-third-week availability window.
Vault Breaker versus standard Cryo Archive
Normal Cryo Archive is a PvPvE activity where other Runners can enter with their own gear. Vault Breaker is the separate sponsored PvE version, built around Vault Data and its event Armory. They may share the ship setting, but their risk and reward rules are not the same.
What to do before November 10
The latest event window ends on 10 November. Those six Tier 1 limits apply per week, and the named limited Tier 2 rewards are reserved for weeks two and three. Check the displayed Armory stock before planning the final purchases.
Use your remaining Vault Data on rewards you actually want while the event is available. If you are deciding between an immediate upgrade and a later offer, check the time left in the 20 October to 10 November window rather than assuming there will be another week to claim it.
Official source: Bungie: Marathon Update 1.1.9.5 and Vault Breaker Armory changes.
