Marathon Game Server Slam Opens This Weekend Ahead of March 5 Launch
The marathon game Server Slam begins February 26 at 1 p. m. ET (10 a. m. PT) and runs through March 2 at 1 p. m. ET (10 a. m. PT), giving players a free preview weekend to try Marathon, help stress-test Bungie’s global infrastructure and earn exclusive launch rewards.
What the Server Slam is and when it runs
The Server Slam is an open preview weekend that Bungie calls a technical stress test: the studio will “turn everything on worldwide, ” invite as many players as possible, and watch systems as people log in, crew up, infil, exfil, log out and repeat. The free playtest runs from February 26 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET to March 2 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET and is intended to surface problems the studio can fix before the full launch on March 5.
Marathon Game platforms, cross-play and Steam Next Fest
Players can jump in on Steam and PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with cross-play and cross-save enabled. Bungie said Marathon will also appear as part of Steam Next Fest during the Server Slam weekend.
What’s playable now and what arrives at launch and Season 1
The Server Slam offers a slice of Marathon rather than the full game. Bungie and the coverage around the preview note that maps during the weekend will not include all of the content coming at launch. At launch, Marathon will add two more maps — Outpost and Cryo Archive — with Cryo Archive scheduled to arrive during Season 1. Ranked mode and broader progression arrive in Season 1 as well. The sixth Runner Shell, Thief, will be available at launch but will not be playable during the Server Slam.
Tau Ceti IV, gameplay loop and setting details
Marathon takes place on Tau Ceti IV, a derelict space colony where Runners and hostile UESC security forces roam. The game’s timeline is set in the year 2893, 99 years after the events of the original Marathon and hundreds of years after the colony’s establishment. Players scavenge futuristic research facilities and lush forests, fight AI and other players in PvE and PvP, seek loot and try to extract — working up toward the Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon orbiting above.
Rewards, progression and streaming bonuses
Everyone who completes the introductory mission during the weekend will unlock a Beta. exe emblem and the Complex Study player background, exclusive to Server Slam participants. Time spent during the slam also banks loot rewards for launch: completing the first mission unlocks the Standard Arrival Cache; reaching Runner Level 10 unlocks the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green); reaching Runner Level 30 unlocks the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue). Bungie said cosmetic and loot rewards will be delivered after Marathon launches on March 5 and that rollouts may take time, so players who don’t immediately see items in their inbox should hold tight. Players who watch streams can also snag cosmetic rewards by tuning into anyone streaming Marathon on Twitch; full claim details will be posted on support pages.
Tips from the game director and the context of extraction shooters
Marathon’s game director, Joe Ziegler, shared 11 tips for beginners ahead of the Server Slam. The advice was published before the slam went live and is intended to help new players during the open preview. The Server Slam arrives as extraction shooters gain wider attention: the genre’s roots trace back to the DayZ mod for ARMA 2, battle royale games grew out of the survival genre with PUBG and later Fortnite and Warzone, and extraction shooters bubbled under the surface with Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown before seeing a large surge late last year with ARC Raiders.
Players looking to experience Marathon’s mix of PvE and PvP and to bank launch rewards should join the Server Slam between February 26 and March 2. Marathon itself launches on March 5, when the full rollout of seasonal content, caches and additional maps will begin.
