Bungie has rolled out a matchmaking improvement in Marathon to help players in isolated geographical regions, such as Australia and South America, find games faster. The change addresses reports of long queue times for those far from North American and European server hubs. Players have already noted quicker matches.
Bungie implemented the update following complaints about extended wait times, often 10 minutes or more, for players outside major server regions. The adjustment aims to balance faster matchmaking with low-latency connections, a common challenge in games using dedicated servers that prioritize nearby opponents to minimize lag. An in-game message states: 'We will continue monitoring the right balance between fast matchmaking times and low-latency matches.' Players in affected areas reported positive early results. Reddit user Duendeacdc shared: 'I could play two rounds already. Took three and four minutes - I can deal with that! The real test would be tomorrow during the day.' Another, Mclovin_78, added: 'Finally I can play again. Most North Americans and Europeans don't understand the frustrating feeling of waiting 10 minutes to find a match only to be eliminated in the dumbest way possible and having to stare at the matchmaking screen for another 10 minutes.' Bungie also fixed an issue on the Cryo Archive map, ensuring lucrative loot vaults always contain important subroutine items. This should simplify challenges on that map. The changes went live quickly in response to player feedback.
