Marathon server slam: 11 tips from game director before the marathon goes live

The marathon Server Slam goes live today, running from February 26 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET through March 2 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET as an open preview before the game's March 5 launch. Game director Joe Ziegler has shared 11 tips for beginners ahead of the playtest, and the weekend doubles as a technical stress test and a chance to earn rewards that carry to launch.

Marathon Server Slam schedule and platforms

The Server Slam begins on February 26 at 10 a. m. PT and ends on March 2 at 10 a. m. PT, with the stated start and end times matching across the weekend. Players can jump in on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S; cross-play and cross-save are enabled so progress can move between platforms. The event also appears as part of Steam Next Fest and is billed as a final beta-style preview weekend before the March 5 release.

Joe Ziegler’s 11 beginner tips and map setting on Tau Ceti

Marathon's game director, Joe Ziegler, shared 11 tips aimed at beginners to help them during the Server Slam. The tips were edited for clarity and are presented as a foundation for new players. Marathon's maps are set on the Tau Ceti planet—specifically Tau Ceti IV—so Ziegler's guidance is intended for players heading into those environments.

How Bungie is using the Server Slam as a global stress test

Organizers describe the Server Slam as a technical stress test: they will turn everything on worldwide, invite as many players as possible and watch systems closely while players log in, crew up, infil, exfil, log out and repeat. Teams will be standing by throughout the weekend to address issues, monitor performance and make adjustments; when something breaks, that data will be used to improve the March 5 launch. Players should expect the weekend to feel different from a standard launch event because of this focus.

Rewards and progression that carry into launch

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 rewards for launch based on how far players progress: 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). Cosmetic and loot rewards will be delivered once Marathon launches on March 5, and deployment may take a bit of time to reach all players.

Streaming bonuses and how to claim weekend cosmetics

Players who tune in to anyone streaming the game on Twitch during the Server Slam will be able to snag a set of cosmetic rewards for launch. The overview of these streaming-linked rewards is available through the game's support channels, which will provide full details on how to secure and claim the items after the event.

Game setting, launch content and Season 1 plans

Marathon is set on Tau Ceti IV, a derelict space colony where Runners and hostile UESC security forces roam. The in‑game year is 2893, 99 years after the events of the original Marathon and hundreds of years since the colony's establishment. Maps in the Server Slam are drawn from environments such as futuristic research facilities and lush forests on the planet surface, with players working their way up toward the Cryo Archive and the first floor of the UESC Marathon orbiting above.

The Server Slam will not include all maps and content planned for the full game. At launch on March 5 the game will feature two more maps—Outpost and Cryo Archive (the Cryo Archive launches during Season 1)—and the sixth Runner Shell, Thief, will be available at launch but not during the Server Slam. Ranked mode and additional zones, factions, contracts, gear and deeper progression are slated to arrive when Season 1 kicks off.

Where Marathon fits in the wider extraction shooter wave

Extraction shooters have been building momentum in recent years; the genre bubbled up with titles such as Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown and found a notable surge late last year with ARC Raiders. Those games trace an ancestry back to the DayZ mod for ARMA 2, and Marathon aims to join the field with first‑person gunplay, a neon sci‑fi aesthetic and a mix of PvE and PvP where success comes from extracting with loot rather than last‑man‑standing.

For players planning to hop into the Server Slam this weekend, the event is both a first taste of the game and a mission-critical opportunity to help stabilize systems before launch on March 5.