Marathon Server Slam kicks off as Bungie opens preview weekend ahead of March 5 launch
The marathon server slam begins today as an open preview weekend for Bungie’s extraction shooter, giving players a chance to play before the March 5 launch and helping the developer scale its online systems. The marathon server slam runs from February 26 at 1 p. m. ET through March 2 at 1 p. m. ET and is billed as both a playtest and a live stress test ahead of launch.
Marathon Server Slam schedule and supported platforms
The Server Slam starts on February 26 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET and ends on March 2 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET. Players can jump in on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with cross-play and cross-save enabled; the weekend is also appearing as part of Steam Next Fest. The weekend preview is free to play during those start and end windows.
What Bungie calls a technical stress test: how the weekend will be run
Organizers describe the Server Slam as a technical stress test, saying they will turn everything on worldwide and invite as many players as possible to log in, crew up, infil, exfil and log out. Staff will be standing by throughout the weekend to monitor performance, make adjustments and address issues in real time, with any failures treated as data to improve the March 5 launch.
Rewards, progression and streamer bonuses banked for launch
Everyone who completes the introductory mission during the weekend unlocks a unique Beta. exe emblem and a Complex Study player background that mark participants as the first wave of Runners. Time spent during the Slam will also bank loot rewards 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 notes cosmetic and loot rewards will be delivered after the March 5 launch and may take some time to roll out.
In addition, viewers who tune in to streamers during the Server Slam can snag cosmetic rewards for launch, with full claiming details to be published on the game's support pages.
What’s in the preview and what’s reserved for launch or Season 1
The Server Slam is explicitly a slice of Marathon, not the full game. The weekend will not include all maps and content coming at launch; it is intended as both a marketing preview and a server stress test. Bungie says that when Marathon launches and Season 1 kicks off, players can expect additional zones, factions, contracts, gear, deeper progression, Ranked play and some secrets to discover.
At launch, the game will include two more maps — Outpost and Cryo Archive — though Cryo Archive is noted as launching during Season 1. The sixth Runner Shell, Thief, will be available at launch but will not be included in the Server Slam. Ranked mode is slated to arrive in Season 1.
Setting, gameplay loop and what players will see on Tau Ceti IV
Marathon takes place on the sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV, a derelict space colony where Runners and hostile UESC security forces roam. The game’s timeline is given as the year 2893, 99 years after the events of the original Marathon game and hundreds of years after the colony’s establishment. Maps in the preview include futuristic research facilities and lush forests on the planet surface, with players scavenging for loot, facing PvE and PvP threats and seeking extraction to keep what they recover; progression and cosmetics are part of the reward loop.
The planet surface is only the beginning: players will work their way toward the Cryo Archive and the first floor of the UESC Marathon, which orbits above Tau Ceti IV.
Eleven beginner tips from Marathon game director Joe Ziegler
Marathon game director Joe Ziegler shared 11 tips aimed at beginners to the extraction shooter, presented as a basic foundation for players heading into the Tau Ceti maps. The guidance was edited for clarity and is intended to help newcomers get a feel for Marathon’s systems during the Server Slam ahead of the March 5 launch.
With the weekend preview under way, organizers have invited players to hop into the Server Slam today or over the weekend to try those tips, help exercise global infrastructure and bank rewards for the full release.
