Marathon’s Cryo Archive race is on, and players are quickly figuring out its nigh-impossible difficulty levels

Marathon’s first endgame experience is here. Two weeks after launch, Cryo Archive has unlocked and teams of three are gearing up and ready to lose it all.

Cryo Archive is a total secret up until this point in time. Narrative wise, this is a huge day for fans of the original franchise as players set foot on the UESC Marathon ship for the first time. But for fans of other Bungie games, it may feel familiar.

The stakes and presentation of Cryo Archive are giving big Destiny 2 raid vibes. Bungie is hosting a live stream for the event, and players everywhere are encouraged to stream their perspectives. It’s unclear if there’s one true “world first” winner of Cryo Archive, especially since it’s not a one-to-one of a PvE raid like in Destiny.

But for now, Runners are building their loadouts and getting ready to risk it all to discover the secrets that lie within Cryo Archive. If you can’t play the map on launch (like me) and are planning on following along, this is the place for you.

Marathon Cryo Archive – Live updates

• 4:35pm CT: I’ll be clocking out for the weekend here soon, and the “solution” or pinnacle end goal of Cryo Archive may not be solved today, judging by the looks of it. Marathon gamers may be in it for the long haul…if they can manage to not lose their entire vault inventories in the process.
• 3:25pm CT: Some players have extracted from Cryo Archive with a very rare, pricey item called Compiler Trace, worth 40,000 Credits. Still no actual Compilers yet, that we know of.

• 2:55pm CT: The latest is it seems as though PvP-focused players are struggling to figure out the puzzle and navigation mechanics, while puzzle-focused players are getting feasted on by UESC and PvP. So far, no one has figured out how to battle the S’pht Compiler endgame boss. Progress has gotten as far as the fourth vault out of seven, where the increasingly convoluted requirements make my head spin (check out the clip below). And so the cycle continues.

• 1:45pm CT: As teams continue to figure things out, it’s becoming clear that mastering Cryo Archive will require a combination of PvP skill, puzzle-solving ability, top tier loot, and nerves of steel to tackle everything it has to offer. This is looking less like a race and more like a…ahem…marathon, to figure it all out.
• 1:30pm CT: We’ve gotten confirmation of one vault cleared, and it’s by none other than Saltagreppo and Clan Elysium, multiple-time Destiny 2 world first raid race winners. The fight continues.

• 1:05pm CT: The gear loss era has begun. Teams are slaying out in Cryo Archive, robbing their enemy’s corpses, and still struggling to figure out how to extract properly. That’s a lot of lost loot!
• 12:55pm CT: It appears that there are batteries found within the map that are needed to power up some doorways, so there’s quite a few new inventory items that have been added to the overall loot pool with Cryo Archive. More items, yay!
• 12:45pm CT: With 30 minutes in each run, there’s not nearly enough time for players to do everything…yet. With each subsequent deployment, though, players will slowly learn where to go, what to do, and how to solve puzzles to get the best loot possible and take on the ultimate challenge: the S’pht Compiler enemy.

• 12:40pm CT: Uh oh, several teams have disconnected with Anteater errors and have been refunded their gear, and so they go again. Luckily, high-tier loot is in abundance all over the map, whether as ground loot or dropped by UESC, without even getting into what can be found in vaults or the security level 5 areas.
• 12:35pm CT: It seems as though there’s a set number of security clearance keys on the map, so players either need to pool their resources to work together…or kill everyone else to take theirs and reach the highest security level possible. Meanwhile, Albralelie has made it into a vault and are attempting to solve a puzzle within to unlock loot. Streamers are watching other channels to figure out what to do. It’s madness!
• 12:30pm CT: Players are utterly overwhelmed. There are multiple pathways, a frost mechanic, gold-shielded UESC enemies, and a lot more that has yet to be discovered. One thing is clear already: this map is like a Destiny raid inside of an extraction shooter.
• 12:25pm CT: Shroud’s team has found an exfil, and it operates on a three-minute timer. This is very different from the game’s main maps but the clock is ticking, as every run on Cryo Archive lasts just 30 minutes. It’s going to take a lot of trial and error to figure everything out.
• 12:20pm CT: Squads are working together early on to try and figure out the mechanics of the map. Teams can share items to boost Security Clearance to try and further move around the labyrinthian chambers of the Cryo Deck.
• 12:10pm CT: Okay, Cryo Archive is huge. The first step (before exploring) is to rank up your Security Clearance level (read more below) by completing different quests so that you can gain access to other areas on the map.

• 12pm CT: We have begun, and there’s a new in-game cutscene featuring Ben Starr as the rampant AI Durendal. And as usual, it’s amazing. There’s also a free Cryo Archive Sponsored Kit in your Armory, so grab one of those if you want to play while watching along.
• 11:10am CT: The Bungie live stream is now online, featuring streamers Skarrow9 and MrRoflWaffles hosting the festivities as players begin to prepare to queue up.
• March 20, 10:20am CT: Good morning, Runners. There is so much we still do not know about Cryo Archive and the UESC Marathon ship in general. Today’s the day we find out, for better or worse (for your vault inventory).

What is Cryo Archive in Marathon?

Cryo Archive is the fourth map in Marathon, and the first new location added after launch. It’s described as a highly difficult endgame map, where players will be tested in ways they have not experienced yet.

“The UESC Marathon ship left Mars for the Tau Ceti solar system in 2472,” Bungie teased of its lore. “It arrived 300 years later. Then… silence. Contact with the 30,000 colonists who set out to make a new home on an alien world was lost. Decades later, the Marathon ship still hangs abandoned in orbit, a frozen snapshot of the past promising valuable resources and information for anyone brave enough to make the trek and survive.”

When it comes to difficulty, Bungie says expect to die, fail, and lose a lot of gear:

• Intensity: Cranked to the top. Cryo Archive is a pinnacle challenge and will take many runs to learn and master.
• Playstyle: Think raid-style puzzle solving and layered mechanics wrapped around brutal extraction stakes.
• Design: A labyrinthian layout where tight corridors give way to massive open spaces, pitting enemy crews against each other to unseal frozen Vaults.

Marathon Cryo Archive requirements

To enter Cryo Archive, there are multiple requirements to be met:

• Runner level 25.
• All six Factions unlocked.
• 5,000 minimum Loadout Value.
• A full team of three players.

Cryo Archive Security Clearance

One of the mechanics players will need to master in Cryo Archive is called Security Clearance, “a progression you build up over the course of a single run by interacting with the ship’s systems and surviving long enough to leverage them.”

Different areas and places inside Cryo Archive are locked behind specific Security Clearance levels, “including doors, supply rooms, and exfils,” and “the more important the system, the higher the clearance you’ll need to use it.”

Cryo Archive’s 7 Vaults

Cryo Archive contains seven different Vaults, which are “heavily-secured rooms have some of the most lucrative loot in the game, some of which you can’t find anywhere else.” Vault Keys to enter these special areas have already been found on other maps in the game, but they can also be found within Cryo Archive, too.

“To access each Vault, you’ll need to complete its unique entry challenge or access requirements,” Bungie explained. “Each Vault also requires a specific Vault Key for entry. Once you’re inside a Vault, you’ll work through tense puzzle interactions and race against other crews who know exactly how valuable these rooms are.”

Even exfiltrating from Cryo Archive will be difficult. Bungie says they are “less reliable and follow different rules than the planet-side zones,” so players will “need to learn how exfils work to secure your way off the ship.”

How to watch Marathon Cryo Archive race

To find streamers playing Cryo Archive, visit the Marathon directory on Twitch. Top streamers like Shroud, Aztecross, DrLupo, GernaderJake, and more will be live-streaming their perspectives throughout the day.

Bungie is also hosting its own live stream on the official Marathon Twitch channel, featuring top ARG-solving gamers MrRoflWaffles and Skarrow9 live from Bungie HQ.

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Crimson Desert has plenty of Alchemy materials to find that will be required for Alchemy to produce various elixirs and materials with different purposes. Some of these recipes will need to be crafted on regular intervals, so you’ll need to stock up on the materials.

The massive size of Pywel means that it’s almost impossible to find exact locations for the materials. I have mentioned areas and estimated locations of all the materials that I have found. I will be adding more items to the table in the section below once I discover them on my adventures.

How to find all Alchemy materials in Crimson Desert

The exact location for almost every Alchemy material appears to be completely random. However, their zones/areas appear to be the same. This doesn’t change based on the items that I have tested with my buddy, who has been playing with his own setup. However, it’s safe to expect some location changes if the places I have explained in the table below don’t help you to find what you’re looking for.

Alchemy material	Approximate Location
Burrowing Toad	Typically found in ponds, you need to look in the muddy areas. I found one in the south of Hernand City near the Goldleaf Guildhouse.
Black Centipede	Look for rocky outgrowths in Hernand. I never found one in the daytime, so they might only spawn at night.
Bluewing Butterfly	They’re fairly common and can be found on flowers in Hernand City.
Banded Peacock Butterfly	I found it in the Black Forest, which can be found to the west of Hernand City.
Crimson Patch Butterfly	I found it once in Hernand and once in Celphade. Look for them in flowers (this is applicable for almost all types of butterflies I have discovered so far).
Centipede	Look for random rocky outgrowths in Hernand City. They appear to only spawn at night.
Camel Cricket	I found one near the Greymane Camp (along the main path).
Cockroach	I found the Cockroach at the same location as the Centipede in Hernand. However, it does appear to spawn during the day.
Coral Mushroom	This plant grows in Demeniss and Delesyia. I have found it in Demeniss, at several locations, but didn’t find it in Delesyia.
Diana Fritillary Butterfly	I also found this butterfly in the Black Forest, located to the west of Hernand City.
Firefly	Fireflies spawn at random locations all over Hernand City at night.
Hornet	They can be found in beehives. You have to destroy beehives to find them, but they will sting.
Grasshopper	You can find them in the forest areas in Hernand. They’re fairly common, and you can find them in the grass.
Long Horn	You’ll find deer in the wild in the Black Forest in Hernand City. You’ll need to hunt the deer and skin them to get the horn.
Dragonfly	Can be found in the forest areas around Hernand.
Lavender	Pretty commonly found in multiple areas in and around Hernand.
Mountain Moth	I have found it once in the Black Forest, and one near the Hook Ford in the north-east of Hernand City.
Oakwood Mushroom	An extremely common item that’s found around Hernand. You can also find them inside chests and barrels.
Marigold	One of the easiest materials to find, as it grows abundantly in the starter areas.
Pine Mushrooms	You can find them near large trees as they grow in moist areas. I found it near the Black Forest area in Hernand (not in the forest).
Peony	Found in the woodlands in Hernand.
White Lavender	Seems to spawn around Hernand, but not as common as Lavender.
Spider	Seems to spawn all around Hermand, and you need to look in the grass. They only seem to spawn at night.
Short Horn	This is an easy item to find, as it can be harvested from dead cows. You’ll find some along a main story quest where you will have to trace few missing cows of Bremer.
Red Croton	Look for high-altitude areas in Hernand, like the mountainside. You’ll find this item spawning in patches as a red-colored flower.
Rosemary	Very common material found all around Hernand.
Wild Silkworm Moth	I found it in a tree in the Black Forest region. I have also spotted it on trees throughout the Hernand region.
Sleepy Scarlet Butterfly	I found one in the grass near the town of Hernand Crossroads. I also spotted one in the Black Forest, but didn’t manage to get it.
Scorpion	To find the Scorpion, you’re likely going to have to reach the Crimson Desert (verified this with my buddy, and he didn’t seem to find it anywhere else).
Snail	I found one near the Greymane Camp and one at Hernand City. I seemed to find them both around water bodies (look in the grasses on the banks).

There are a bunch of materials (mostly butterflies) that I have yet to find. I will be updating their locations on the table above once I manage to find them.

The post All Alchemy materials in Crimson Desert and where to find them appeared first on Destructoid.