You're missing out on getting Marathon's best loot for free because it's hidden in a menu

Your whole goal in Marathon is to get the best guns in your hands, kill a few Runners, and eventually lose it all—especially if you're playing Cryo Archive, AKA the 'lose it all factory'. Collecting good loot typically means risking what you've already got against other players and high-tier UESC.

But what if I told you that you've been sitting on a pile of some of the best gear this whole time? And no, I'm not talking about faction upgrades like Safeguard, Restore, or Shielded that give you a handful of specific items from the faction's stores each day. No, no, no, there are actually two free sections in the store, because of course there is. Marathon's complicated UI strikes again.

Head over to any faction in the Armoury, scroll down a bit, and you'll find the Priority Access section. Like the rest of the Armoury, this is a selection of gear available from each faction that rotates on a daily basis. However, it's all free.

You can get some of the best guns, consumables, cores, and other loot just by heading to the store each day and checking each corporation's offerings. I've seen the M77 assault rifle from Traxus, high-tier Patch Kits and Shield Charges from NuCaloric, and even the WSTR shotgun from Arcachne. A free double-barrel? Don't need to ask me twice—it rips on Cryo Archive.

Now, the deal is that you need to unlock each faction's Priority Access section by completing their first block of quests. For example, Traxus demands you complete all stages of Equitable Distribution, while Sekiguchi requires you to beat the troublesome Parasitism quest chain. The odd one out is Arachne, which simply asks you to reach rank 10 with the murder cult.

I'll admit, I didn't realise this loot haul existed for the longest time, but now I know, I'm making sure to check it daily. Even if you don't have time to play a match, log in and check your Priority Access. It's perfect if you're trying to gear up for Ranked or Cryo Archive, since some very valuable, powerful items can crop up if you're lucky.

Plus, if you're new or otherwise paralysed by gear fear, you don't need to complete hard map events or risk fights against kitted-out players to have a bit of fun with the best loot Marathon has to offer. It's just a few clicks away every day.