Marathon's Server Slam Is Almost Here: Start Times, Rewards and What to Expect

The Marathon Server Slam preview weekend begins February 26 at 10 a. m. PT (1 p. m. ET) and runs through March 2 at 10 a. m. PT (1 p. m. ET). Marathon players can join the open playtest to help stress-test global systems, sample core gameplay ahead of launch, and earn exclusive cosmetic and loot rewards that unlock when the game launches on March 5.

Marathon Server Slam: When, where and how to join

The Server Slam is an open preview weekend that invites as many players as possible to log in, crew up, infil, exfil and repeat while backend teams watch performance at scale. The playtest runs from February 26 at 10 a. m. PT to March 2 at 10 a. m. PT, with the equivalent start and end times of 1 p. m. ET each day. The event is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with cross-play and cross-save enabled, and is free to play for the duration of the weekend.

What the Server Slam actually is

The Server Slam is described as a technical stress test and a slice of the full game: teams will turn everything on worldwide, invite broad participation, and monitor systems closely. Staff will be standing by throughout the weekend to address issues, monitor performance and make adjustments as needed; failures during the test are treated as useful data to improve the March 5 launch. This preview weekend is not the full game and will omit some maps and content that arrive at launch and in Season 1.

In-world setting and content included in the Slam

Marathon is set on the distant world of Tau Ceti IV, a derelict space colony where Runners and hostile UESC security forces operate. The timeline in the available material places the game in the year 2893, 99 years after events of the original Marathon and hundreds of years after the colony's establishment. Server Slam maps include futuristic research facilities, lush forests and a variety of AI and player threats; players scavenge maps, fight PvE and PvP encounters, and work toward extracting with loot and rewards. The planet surface is only the beginning: players can work their way toward the Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon itself, which orbits above.

What’s missing now and what arrives later

The Server Slam will not include all the maps and features planned for the full release. Two additional maps—Outpost and Cryo Archive—are slated for availability at launch and during Season 1 respectively. A sixth Runner Shell called Thief will be available at launch but will not be present during the Server Slam. Ranked mode and additional progression depth are expected to arrive with Season 1, along with more zones, factions, contracts, gear and some in-game secrets that players must discover firsthand.

Rewards, progression and streaming bonuses

Everyone who completes the introductory mission during the weekend will unlock a unique Beta. exe emblem and a Complex Study player background exclusive to Server Slam participants. Time spent during the Slam also banks loot rewards for launch based on progress. The reward milestones are listed as:

• Complete your first mission: Unlock the Standard Arrival Cache
• Reach Runner Level 10: Unlock the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green)
• Reach Runner Level 30: Unlock the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue)

Cosmetic and loot rewards will be delivered once Marathon launches on March 5. The rollout may take some time; players who don’t immediately see rewards in their inbox are advised to wait for the distribution to complete. During the Server Slam weekend, viewers who tune in to streamers will be eligible to snag a set of cosmetic rewards for launch; fuller details on how to secure and claim those items will be available on support pages.

Tips and last-minute guidance from the game director

Ahead of the Server Slam, game director Joe Ziegler shared 11 tips aimed at beginners to help them get started in the extraction gameplay loop. Those tips are meant to provide a foundation for players entering the weekend playtest and the full release on March 5.

The Server Slam is positioned as both a chance to sample what Marathon plays like and a live stress test of the game's infrastructure. Participants will help shape a smoother launch while earning exclusive cosmetics and launch-bound loot based on how far they progress during this open preview.