Marathon Guide | How to Loot Effectively

Here’s a guide on how to loot effectively in Marathon.

Game Guide by Ragib Rawnak on Mar 06, 2026

You have to think about how much space things take up. Weapons and Backpacks are large and use four or six slots. Cores and Implants are smaller and only take two spots.

If you have an open slot in your gear, put these items on right away. Always trade your old items for better ones. If you see a green item and have a gray one, swap them out.

Marathon, Guide, How to Loot Effectively

Staying Alive

The most important goal is to stay alive. If you die, you lose all your Loot. Use your Backpack to carry home rare Cores or good Weapons. Keeping your Vault full is a job that never ends. If you need Ammo or Healing Items, you should look around the edges of the map.

Using Salvage

Keep an eye out for Salvage. These items have icons that look like square codes. All six Factions want them for Upgrades and trading. It is much cheaper to Barter with Salvage than to buy things with Credits in Marathon.

Marathon, Guide, How to Loot Effectively

For example, CyberAcme will give you Shield Charges if you give them Unstable Diodes. Salvage is better to keep than Valuables because it helps you get better perks later.

Managing Your Bag

You will have to choose what to throw away when your bag gets full. Start by dropping Common Valuables. You can change your view to see which items are worth the most money.

Some items like Depleted Patch Kits or Depleted Shield Charges are useless once you leave. They do not give you Credits, so drop them for better items.

Marathon, Guide, How to Loot Effectively

Simple Buffs

Some items like OS Debug or Mechanic's Kits only work for certain problems in Marathon.. You can drop these if you find better Loot. Other items like Energy Amp or Cardio Kick give you a boost.

You can use them right when you find them instead of letting them take up space. If you are not going to sell it or trade it, you do not need to carry it.

Also, check our Marathon Review and other guides below