Marathon Game Server Slam Goes Live Today; Director Joe Ziegler Shares 11 Tips Before March 5 Launch
The marathon game open preview weekend known as the Server Slam begins on 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. The event matters because it is both a public playtest and a large-scale stress test that will shape final preparations for the game’s March 5 launch.
Marathon Game Server Slam schedule and platforms
The Server Slam opens February 26 at 10 AM PT and closes March 2 at 10 AM PT. During that window players can access Marathon on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with cross-play and cross-save enabled. Bungie has positioned the weekend as an open preview, separate from the full launch on March 5, which is set to appear on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Joe Ziegler’s 11 tips for beginners
Marathon’s game director, Joe Ziegler, shared 11 tips aimed at new players ahead of the Server Slam. Those tips were edited for clarity by Game Informer. The guidance is meant to help newcomers get a practical feel for how the extraction FPS plays on maps set on the Tau Ceti planet, and to prepare players to arrive at launch day ready for the game’s hazards.
Bungie’s technical stress test plan
Bungie has described the Server Slam as a technical stress test: the studio will turn systems on worldwide, invite as many players as possible, and watch core systems while participants log in, crew up, infil, exfil, log out, repeat. Bungie will be standing by throughout the weekend to address issues, monitor performance, and make adjustments. When components fail, that failure becomes data Bungie will use to improve the March 5 launch.
Rewards, caches and exclusive cosmetics for Server Slam participants
Players who complete the introductory mission during the weekend will unlock a Beta. exe emblem and a Complex Study player background exclusive to Server Slam participants. Time spent during the Slam will also bank loot rewards for delivery at 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 those cosmetics and loot rewards will be delivered after Marathon launches on March 5 and that the roll-out may take some time, advising players to be patient if rewards do not appear immediately.
Cross-promotion and streaming incentives
Marathon will appear as part of Steam Next Fest during the Server Slam weekend. Additionally, Bungie is offering cosmetic rewards tied to watching streams: viewers who tune into Marathon streams on Twitch during the weekend will be able to claim in-game cosmetics for launch. Full instructions for how to secure and claim stream-linked rewards will be published on official support pages.
What the Server Slam does — and does not — include
The Server Slam is explicitly a slice of Marathon and not the full game. Bungie has said the preview gives players a taste of what the extraction FPS will feel like, while the full launch and the start of Season 1 will add additional zones, factions, contracts, gear, progression depth, Ranked play, and other secrets that players will discover after March 5. The immediate effect of the weekend is both practical and technical: it lets players experience core systems on Tau Ceti and gives Bungie operational data to refine the live launch.
All of the above is timed to feed into the full release: the Server Slam runs for five days, the development team will monitor and respond during that span, and rewards tied to progression will be unlocked for delivery once Marathon launches on March 5.
