Back to Blog
What is DBNO in Marathon? - cover image

What is DBNO in Marathon?

GuidesMarathon
Article author avatarDigital Juice
Created 26 Mar 2026 ~1 min Last updated 26 Mar 2026

If you’ve ever gone down mid-run and watched something valuable disappear, you’ve already met one of Marathon’s most punishing mechanics.

Let’s break it down properly so you don’t learn it the expensive way again.

What is DBNO in Marathon?

DBNO (Down But Not Out) in Marathon means you’ve been knocked instead of instantly killed.

You’re not dead yet, just… laying there reconsidering your life choices while your squad decides whether you’re worth saving.

DBNO is the state you enter when your HP hits zero but you’re not fully dead.

Instead:

  • You get knocked
  • You can’t fight back
  • Teammates can revive you
  • You can self-revive

So far, pretty standard extraction shooter stuff.

Why DBNO Deletes Your Items

Here’s the part most people learn the hard way.

Items like Deluxe Key Template and Superior Key Template have a built-in penalty:

Upon DBNO, this item will be destroyed

Marathon Superior Key TemplateMarathon Deluxe Key TemplateThat means:

  • The moment you get knocked → item is gone
  • Revives don’t save it
  • Even if your team wins → you still lost it

And since templates need extraction to turn into keys, your entire run is basically ruined the second you hit DBNO.

What this means for your runs

When you’re carrying templates, you need to play safer than usual. Your goal is to avoid getting knocked at all and extract clean.

So, in short: DBNO in Marathon means “Down But Not Out” — a knocked state where you can be revived, but certain items (like key templates) are permanently destroyed the moment you enter it.

If you don’t feel like sweating every step just to protect one item, people usually go for safer runs where the risk is handled for them.

Instead of risking a full run on one DBNO, it’s way more consistent to just secure the outcome from the start.

Here are the most common options:

Marathon Cryo Archive Boost - cover image

Cryo Archive

  • All 7 contracts completed
  • Get the Best loot in the game
$49.99
Marathon Pinwheel Carry Boost - cover image

Pinwheel

  • Get weapons, implants & mods
  • Safe runs with 2 boosters
$29.99

FAQ

DBNO means “Down But Not Out”. You get knocked instead of dying and can be revived, but certain items like key templates are destroyed the moment you enter this state.

You unlock it through KEYMAKER (CyAc Rank 16).
To craft it, you need Credits + UESC Obedience Matrix.
After crafting, bring it into a raid and extract without hitting DBNO to turn it into a random Deluxe key.

You unlock it through KEYMAKER+ (CyAc Rank 28).
To craft it, you need Credits + Shell ID.

Take it into a raid and extract clean. Any DBNO and it’s destroyed before conversion. After converting, it becomes a random Superior Key.

Table of contents