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Marathon

Marathon Cryo Archive Guide: Requirements, Vaults, Security Clearance and Exfil

How to unlock Cryo Archive, build Security Clearance, open the vaults and get back out with the loot.

Artur Potapkin

• 4 min read
First-person view in a blue-lit Cryo Archive room in Marathon with enemy Runners across the deck

Cryo Archive is where Marathon gets serious. Locked vaults, other crews after the same loot, and a ship that doesn't let you leave just because you want to.

It takes a lot of runs to learn, and a bad first run is expensive. This guide covers what you need before you queue, how Security Clearance works, and how to get back out with the good stuff.

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Key points
• Open Thursday to Monday, every week.
• To enter: Level 25, all six factions unlocked, and a loadout worth 5,000 credits.
• Raise Security Clearance with Security Tags and Security Monitors.
• You need Clearance 3 to exfil, then 3.5 minutes to reach your Secret Exfil.
• Seven vaults, each with its own key and entry challenge.

When is Cryo Archive open?

Bungie Nightfall Refresh calendar with weekly Cryo Archive windows
The Nightfall Refresh calendar: Cryo Archive opens every week, Thursday to Monday. Image: Bungie.

Cryo Archive isn't open all week. It runs Thursday to Monday, every week of the Nightfall Refresh.

Coming back after the October reset? Your Runner level and faction progress were reset too, so you may need to qualify again.

How to unlock Cryo Archive

You need three things to queue:

  • Runner Level 25.
  • All six factions: finish each faction's liaison contracts.
  • A loadout worth 5,000 credits: that's the value of what you're wearing, not an entry fee.

It's built for a crew of three. No crew? Queue solo with fill and the game will find you one.

Once you qualify, claim the one-time Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit from the Armory. It's a set of blue gear, so you can learn the map without risking your favourite loadout.

How to raise Security Clearance

A Runner hacking a red UESC terminal aboard the Marathon
A Runner hacking a UESC terminal on the ship. Doors, rooms and exfils in Cryo Archive answer to your clearance. Image: Bungie, Cryo Unlock trailer.

Security Clearance is a team level you build during each run. Doors, supply rooms and exfils are locked behind it, and the more important the system, the higher the level it needs. It goes up to level 5.

  1. Pick up Security Tags. UESC enemies drop them. Just holding one counts as a point.
  2. Hack Security Monitors. Each one adds several points that stay for the run.
  3. Use Scanners, the big screens in the walls. They mark nearby Exfil Stations and vault batteries on your map.

Each new level needs more points than the last, so start early instead of looting first.

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Think clearance before loot. Every plan in Cryo Archive, from vaults to the way out, depends on it.

How to open the vaults

The ship has seven vaults. They hold some of the best loot in Marathon, including unique gold weapons in special lockers.

Opening one takes three things:

  1. The right Vault Key for that vault.
  2. Power. Find batteries around the ship (Scanners help) and load them into the vault.
  3. Its entry challenge. Every vault has its own requirement, and there's a puzzle inside while other crews race you for the room.

Where to find Vault Keys

  • Planet zones: riskier activities give you better odds.
  • Locked vaults: some keys lead to the next one.
  • Enemy crews: take them down and check what they carried.
  • Cryo contracts: a finished contract can pay out a Vault Key.
  • Vault Breaker: until November 10, its Armory sells a Cryo Archive Key Template each week, and Vault Keys 4 to 6 in weeks two and three.

Before you open a door, decide who's on the puzzle and who's holding the entrance.

How to exfil from Cryo Archive

Exfils up here are hidden, and they're tied to your clearance. The classic mistake is playing it like the planet: loot first, then look for a way out. Here's how it actually works:

  1. Reach Security Clearance 3. You can't use an exfil before that.
  2. Find an Exfil Station. Scanners mark them on your map.
  3. Activate it to reveal your team's Secret Exfil, usually far across the ship.
  4. Get there within 3.5 minutes. Miss it and you'll need another Exfil Station.

There's also a Final Exfil when the match timer runs out, but it isn't marked on your map. Don't count on finding it.

If you'd rather go in with people who already know the routes, there's a Cryo Archive run on CarrySquad.

Cryo Archive contracts and rewards

While the zone is open, CyberAcme offers seven Cryo contracts. Your crew can re-roll the active one so everyone works toward the same goal.

A finished contract drops off your list for the week, and the full set returns next time the zone opens. Each one pays a random high-rarity item: a key, a Vault Key, materials or gear.

There are also Codex rewards for Cryo Archive progress, including a style for each of the six Runner shells. That progress never resets.

Common mistakes

  • Looting before clearance. Low clearance means locked doors and no exfil.
  • Opening a vault late in the match. You still need Clearance 3, a station and a 3.5-minute run.
  • Bringing your best gear on run one. Use the free blue kit to learn the map.
  • Waiting for the Final Exfil. It's unmarked, so it's mostly luck.

Cryo Archive tips

  1. Grab tags from every UESC fight and hack Monitors on the way.
  2. Use Scanners often. They find both the batteries and the way out.
  3. Collect keys on the planet during the days the zone is closed.
  4. Talk before every vault: who does the puzzle, who holds the door, where you leave from.

FAQ

Can I play Cryo Archive solo?

You can queue alone, but the game fills you into a crew of three.

Why can't I see Cryo Archive?

Check the day first: it's only open Thursday to Monday. Then check the three requirements. After the reset, the 5,000-credit loadout is the one people most often miss.

Is the 5,000 credits an entry fee?

No. It's the value of the loadout you bring in, not something you pay.

What Security Clearance do I need to exfil?

Level 3. Then activate an Exfil Station and reach your Secret Exfil within 3.5 minutes.

How do I raise Security Clearance fast?

Hack Security Monitors, which give several points each, and keep the Security Tags UESC enemies drop.

Does Codex progress reset?

No. Your Cryo Archive Codex progress stays, including the styles for all six Runner shells.