Marathon Server Slam Kicks Off This Weekend as Bungie Runs Global Technical Stress Test

The Marathon Server Slam opens on February 26 and runs through March 2, giving players a free preview weekend of Bungie’s extraction shooter and a chance to stress-test the game’s worldwide systems ahead of the March 5 launch. The playtest will reveal immediate technical and gameplay touchpoints while banking cosmetic and loot rewards for full release.

Marathon Server Slam schedule and platform access

The Server Slam runs from February 26 at 10 a. m. PT (1 p. m. ET) and closes on March 2 at 10 a. m. PT (1 p. m. ET). The weekend preview is free to play on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with cross-play and cross-save enabled, and it is included as part of Steam Next Fest. The event is being presented as the final beta for the title ahead of the full launch on Thursday, March 5.

Joe Ziegler’s 11 tips for players before the Server Slam

Marathon game director Joe Ziegler published a set of 11 tips for beginners to help new players get the most out of the Server Slam. The guidance is intended to give entrants a foundation for surviving and extracting on Tau Ceti IV during the preview weekend.

Bungie’s technical stress test: log in, crew up, infil, exfil

Bungie frames the Server Slam as a technical stress test: the studio will switch systems on worldwide, invite as many players as possible, and monitor activity as participants log in, crew up, infil, exfil, log out and repeat. Engineers will stand by throughout the weekend to address issues, monitor performance and make adjustments. Because the event is designed to expose breaking points, any failures are treated as actionable data to improve stability ahead of the March 5 launch.

Tau Ceti IV setting, enemies and game loop

Marathon is set on Tau Ceti IV in the year 2893, 99 years after the events of the original Marathon and hundreds of years after the colony was established. Players take the role of Runners who scavenge futuristic research facilities and lush forests on the planet surface, fighting both hostile UESC security forces and other players in a blend of PvE and PvP. The playable progression during maps will lead toward the Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon station orbiting above.

Rewards, caches and cosmetics tied to Weekend progress

Everyone who completes the introductory mission during the Server Slam will unlock a unique Beta. exe emblem and a Complex Study player background exclusive to participants. Time spent during the weekend will also bank loot for the March 5 launch: completing the first mission unlocks the Standard Arrival Cache, reaching Runner Level 10 unlocks the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green), and reaching Runner Level 30 unlocks the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue). Bungie warns that these rewards will be delivered after launch and may take time to appear in players’ accounts.

Maps, modes and Season 1 content

The Server Slam presents a slice of the full game rather than the complete experience. Players will receive a large chunk of content for weekend play, but additional elements are reserved for launch and Season 1. Materials reference two more maps named Outpost and Cryo Archive; other information lists Cryo Archive as arriving during Season 1, which creates an unclear detail in the provided context. The sixth Runner Shell, Thief, is planned for launch but will not be available during the Server Slam. Ranked mode, additional zones, factions, contracts, more gear and deeper progression are slated to arrive when Season 1 begins.

Twitch streams, launch timing and broader implications

Viewers will be able to tune into Twitch streams of Marathon during the Server Slam and claim cosmetic rewards tied to streams; full claim instructions are set to appear on support pages. What makes this notable is that Bungie is using the open weekend both to let players preview core gameplay and to validate global infrastructure at scale, with the explicit goal of improving stability for the March 5 launch. With cross-play and cross-save active and a public window that spans four days, the Server Slam will produce concrete operational data that Bungie can use in the days before full release.

Players interested in joining should note the exact Feb. 26 10 a. m. PT / 1 p. m. ET start time and the March 2 10 a. m. PT / 1 p. m. ET end time, and expect that some planned launch features will not be present during the weekend preview.