Marathon Server Slam — marathon server slam open preview weekend details
The marathon server slam open preview weekend runs before the game's launch and is intended as a large-scale technical stress test. The marathon server slam will let players try Marathon ahead of launch and help the developer spin up global infrastructure at scale for the very first time.
Marathon Server Slam schedule
The open preview runs from February 26 at 10 AM PT to March 2 at 10 AM PT. An additional schedule note states the marathon server slam open beta starts on Thursday (26 February) at 6pm GMT (1pm ET / 10am ET) and will run until the same time on Monday (2 March). The full game is set to launch on March 5.
Platforms and access
Players will be able to play on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with cross-play and cross-save enabled. On PC, it will only be available through Steam. Players do not need to have pre-ordered the game to try the open preview weekend, and at the time of writing the marathon server slam open beta cannot be pre-loaded.
How the Server Slam works
The Server Slam is a technical stress test. The developer says it is turning everything on worldwide, inviting as many players in as possible, and watching systems closely as players log in, crew up, infil, exfil, log out, repeat. The team will be standing by throughout the weekend to address issues, monitor performance, and make adjustments as needed. "When something breaks, that is data we can use to make our launch on March 5 all the better, " the event notes say.
Rewards and progression
Everyone who completes the introductory mission during the weekend will unlock a unique Beta. exe emblem and Complex Study player background that mark participants as part of the first wave of Runners. Time spent during the Slam will also bank loot rewards for launch, based on progress: complete your first mission and unlock the Standard Arrival Cache; reach Runner Level 10 to unlock the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green); reach Runner Level 30 to unlock the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue). Cosmetic and loot rewards will be delivered once Marathon launches on March 5, and it may take a bit of time for rewards to roll out to everyone — if they do not appear in a player inbox immediately, players are asked to hold tight because they should arrive soon.
Streaming and viewer rewards
Throughout the Server Slam weekend, viewers will be able to tune in to anyone streaming Marathon on Twitch and snag a set of cosmetic rewards for launch. Full details on how to secure and claim those rewards will be available on support pages, with an overview promised during the event window.
What the preview includes
This preview weekend is a slice of Marathon, described as enough to get comfortable but not enough to show everything. "The server slam is a slice of Marathon's gameplay. Enough to get comfortable, not enough to see everything, " the message says. It is explicitly a preview weekend, not the full game: when Marathon launches and Season 1 kicks off, players can expect additional zones, factions, contracts, gear, progression depth, Ranked, and some secrets to discover. Players who join "starside" during the Server Slam are encouraged to arrive on launch day looking and feeling ready for all the dangers of Tau Ceti.
Separately in the provided context, an unrelated line appears under the title "IGN Error 418 - I am a teapot": "Short and stout, this is my handle, this is my spout. "
Marathon is described in the material as a first-person sci-fi extraction shooter from the developers of Halo and Destiny focusing on PvPvE gameplay. The open weekend will allow players across the platforms Marathon is releasing on to try it out for a few days and give feedback ahead of the March 5 launch.
The marathon server slam open preview is positioned as both a player chance to sample the game and a technical rehearsal: turn systems on worldwide, collect failure data, adjust, and prepare for launch.
