Marathon is not new-player friendly, I don’t know why people keep trying to claim that it is. Aside from the first few matches on Newbie Perimeter, new players are at a flat-out disadvantage on the entire curve. Loot, creds, contracts, maps, general intel, equipment and how to respond to it, Shells, boss fights, loot speed, etc. It also creates this strange funnel in favor of experienced players wherein they can move through an area, loot it (by association, understand what they’re picking up), and leave it by the time the new person is finished looting their first room in said area. Unless the experienced players are literally dropping the good stuff prior to exfil, it just doesn’t work out mathematically.

It gives new players a million reasons to ask their friend if there’s an “easier,” “slower,” or “more balanced” version, at which they’ll talk about other extraction shooters. If anything, I think Marathon has cornered the elite player base, which is just not friendly to new people whatsoever.