Overview

Cutthroat Competition is the first Priority Contract Traxus gives you, unlocking once you've finished the Introducing: Traxus Liaison quest. The whole thing comes down to one task: head into Maintenance on Dire Marsh, pick up some Rod Salvage, and get out alive.

You'll need two Enhanced (green) Rod Salvage items to complete it, or just a single Deluxe (blue) if you get lucky. Finish the contract and you'll earn a solid reward package plus access to the next step in the Traxus quest chain.

Marathon Cutthroat Competition contract overview — The Cutthroat Competition Priority Contract is your first assignment from Traxus faction agent Vulcan.

Rod Salvage - What Counts

Rod Salvage is a scavengeable item type found in the Maintenance area of Dire Marsh. Three specific items count toward the Cutthroat Competition objective:

Deimosite Rods - the most common of the three, and what you'll most likely find first
Cetinite Rods - a second qualifying type
Ballistic Turbines - the third option

All three count equally, so grab whichever two you come across first. There's no reason to hold out for a specific type.

How Rarity Changes the Requirement

Rarity	Required Amount	What to Do
Enhanced (green)	2 items	Search the full Maintenance area
Deluxe (blue)	1 item	Grab it and head straight to Exfil

Deluxe Shortcut

If you spot a Deluxe Rod Salvage early, grab it and go straight to the Exfil Zone. No need to keep searching - one Deluxe is all it takes.

Vault Items Won't Count

You can't pull Rod Salvage from your Vault into your Backpack for this contract. No matter how many Deimosite Rods you've stashed from previous runs, they won't count. You have to find the items in-match and extract with them on your person.

Rod Salvage item types in Marathon — Deimosite Rods, Cetinite Rods, and Ballistic Turbines all qualify - loot whichever you find first.

Where to Find Rod Salvage in Maintenance

Maintenance is a full compound on Dire Marsh, made up of a large central building and a cluster of smaller, single-room structures to the east. Rod Salvage can spawn across the whole area, so a pass through both sections is worth your time.

Start with the Smaller Buildings

The one-room buildings to the east are quick to clear and occasionally have Deimosite Rods lying on the floor. Sweeping through them on your way to the main building costs almost no time and might save you from needing to loop back later.

The Main Building is Your Best Bet

Inside the central Maintenance building, head straight for the upper floor. Deimosite Rods have a solid chance of spawning on top of crates there, particularly outside the room in the southeast corner. Spawns are random each match, so nothing is guaranteed, but the upper floor southeast area is consistently the most productive place to start.

You don't need any keys or access cards to get through the building.

Maintenance compound layout on Dire Marsh — Focus your search on the upper floor of the main Maintenance building, especially crates near the southeast corner room.

Get There First

Other Runners in the match can grab Rod Salvage before you do, so make Maintenance your first stop after dropping in. Treating it as a secondary destination means there's a real chance the loot has already been cleared by the time you arrive.

Drop Priority

Make Maintenance your very first destination every run. Other Runners will clear the Rod Salvage spawns quickly - arriving late often means the area is already picked clean.

Dealing with UESC in Maintenance

Maintenance is patrolled by UESC forces, and UESC Ghosts are the ones to watch out for. They can flank you while you're focused on searching crates, and getting caught off-guard while carrying your Rod Salvage can end your run fast. Clear Ghosts as you move through the area rather than ignoring them.

UESC Ghost enemies in Marathon Maintenance — UESC Ghosts patrol Maintenance and will flank you during looting - clear them as you move through the compound.

Getting Out with Your Salvage

Once you've collected the two Enhanced Rod Salvage items (or one Deluxe), head for the Exfil Zone. Don't stop to loot anything else. If you die before you exfil, you lose the items and have to start the whole contract over in a new match.

When Extraction Opens

Exfil becomes available once the in-match timer hits 20 minutes. Pull up the map and find an Exfil Zone. There's usually one near Maintenance, but the exact location changes each match, so you may need to take a short detour.

How Extraction Works

Activate the Exfil Zone and wait for the transmitter to materialize, then stand in the zone through the 10-second countdown. You're exposed during those 10 seconds, so find cover before the timer runs. Getting killed at the very end of a clean run is avoidable with a few seconds of patience.

Don't Risk It

Once you have your Rod Salvage, go directly to Exfil - no detours, no extra looting. Dying with the salvage on you means starting the entire contract over from scratch in a new match.

Exfil Zone extraction in Marathon Dire Marsh — Find cover before the 10-second Exfil countdown starts - you're fully exposed during the extraction sequence.

Cutthroat Competition Rewards

Completing the contract earns you:

1x V22 Volt Thrower
3x Random Material
4x Volt Battery
1,500x Credits

Claim them from the Traxus Faction screen, and the next contract in the chain will open up.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Finish the Introducing: Traxus Liaison quest to unlock Cutthroat Competition.
Drop into Dire Marsh and head straight to Maintenance.
Sweep the smaller eastern buildings for any Deimosite Rods on the ground.
Move into the main building and check the upper floor, especially crates near the southeast corner room.
Clear UESC Ghosts as you go so they don't catch you mid-loot.
Collect 2x Enhanced (green) Rod Salvage, or 1x Deluxe (blue).
Once you have what you need, go directly to the Exfil Zone.
Wait for the 20-minute timer, activate the zone, find cover, and survive the 10-second countdown.
Head to the Traxus Faction screen to claim your rewards and unlock the next contract.