Marathon Server Slam: 11 Tips, Start Times and Rewards

The Marathon Server Slam opens today as a free open preview weekend before the game's March 5 launch. The marathon server slam runs from February 26 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET through March 2 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET, giving players a final beta window to try extraction play and help exercise the global infrastructure.

Marathon Server Slam schedule

The Server Slam is scheduled to run from February 26 at 10 AM PT to March 2 at 10 AM PT, with the same start and end times both days. One notice in the rollout said the slam begins in just a few hours ahead of the weekend window. The final launch date for the full game is Thursday, March 5.

11 tips from Joe Ziegler

Marathon game director Joe Ziegler shared 11 tips for beginners ahead of the Server Slam; those tips were edited by Game Informer for clarity. The coverage notes that "I'm sure we'll all learn plenty more as we head to the Tau Ceti planet that Marathon's maps are set on, but for now, Ziegler's tips seem like a great foundation of tricks to build on. " The guidance is presented as a primer rather than an exhaustive list, and participants should expect to discover more during the preview weekend.

Platforms, cross-play and Steam Next Fest

The open preview will be playable on Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with cross-play and cross-save enabled. Other mentions list PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC as launch platforms. The event is also part of Steam Next Fest, and players can access the Server Slam across the listed platforms during the window.

What the Studio calls a stress test

The Server Slam is framed as a technical stress test: turning everything on worldwide, inviting as many players in as possible, and watching systems as people log in, crew up, infil, exfil, log out, repeat. Organizers said they will be standing by throughout the weekend to address issues, monitor performance, and make adjustments as needed; when something breaks, that is data to use to improve the March 5 launch. The preview is explicitly a slice of the full game and should feel different from a standard launch weekend.

Rewards, caches and streaming bonuses

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; those cosmetic rewards are exclusive to Server Slam participants. Time spent during the Slam will also bank loot rewards for launch, delivered once Marathon launches on March 5. The listed progression rewards are: complete your first mission to unlock the Standard Arrival Cache; reach Runner Level 10 to unlock the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green); and reach Runner Level 30 to unlock the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue). The studio warned it will take a bit of time to roll out rewards to everyone, and if you log in and don’t see them in your inbox at launch, hold tight — they should arrive soon.

Maps, setting and Season 1 plans

Marathon takes place on the Tau Ceti planet, identified specifically as Tau Ceti IV, a derelict space colony where Runners and hostile UESC security forces roam. The narrative is set in the year 2893, 99 years after the events of the original Marathon game and hundreds of years after the colony's establishment. Maps during the Server Slam will include futuristic research facilities, lush forests and various enemies across the planet surface, with players working their way toward the Cryo Archive — described as the first floor of the UESC Marathon itself, orbiting above. The Server Slam will not include all maps and content; at launch the game will add two more maps — Outpost and Cryo Archive (the latter launching during Season 1) — and the sixth Runner Shell, Thief, will be available at launch but not during the Server Slam. Ranked mode and further additions arrive in Season 1.

Twitch streams and support details

Throughout the Server Slam weekend, players 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. The preview weekend is presented both as a marketing beta and as a server stress test intended to help the team spin up global infrastructure at scale for the first time.

Players on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5 can give Marathon a try during this Server Slam window as a final beta before the March 5 launch. The event is free to play for the stated platforms, and cross-play and cross-save remain enabled for the preview weekend.

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