Marathon Server Slam: marathon server slam starts Feb. 26 — times, tips and rewards
Bungie's extraction FPS Marathon will host a free open playtest called the marathon server slam beginning February 26 and running through March 2, ahead of the game's March 5 launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Marathon game director Joe Ziegler shared 11 tips for beginners ahead of the weekend, and the studio has outlined schedule, technical aims and the rewards players can bank for launch.
Marathon Server Slam schedule
The Server Slam runs from February 26 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET through March 2 at 10 a. m. PT/1 p. m. ET. Bungie describes the event as an open preview weekend and a technical stress test: the studio will turn systems on worldwide and invite players to log in, crew up, infil, exfil, log out and repeat while staff monitor performance and make adjustments.
Platforms, cross-play and Steam
Players will be able to play on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with cross-play and cross-save enabled. Marathon is also included in Steam Next Fest during the Server Slam weekend, giving additional visibility on PC.
Bungie on the Server Slam
Bungie says the Server Slam is a slice of Marathon and not the full game, and that standing by throughout the weekend will allow engineers to address issues quickly; when something breaks, that is data they can use to improve the March 5 launch. The studio has framed the weekend as a chance to help spin up global infrastructure at scale for the very first time and to arrive on launch day looking and feeling ready for the dangers of Tau Ceti.
Rewards and progression details
Everyone who completes the introductory mission during the weekend will unlock a unique Beta. exe emblem and a Complex Study player background that mark participants as part of the first wave of Runners. Time spent in the Server Slam will also bank loot rewards for launch based on progression: 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 cosmetic and loot rewards will be delivered once Marathon launches on March 5 and that it may take a bit of time to roll the rewards out; if players do not see them immediately in their inbox, they are asked to hold tight.
Game setting, maps and modes
Marathon takes place on the sci‑fi world of Tau Ceti IV, a derelict space colony and setting where Runners and hostile UESC security forces roam. The game is set in the year 2893, 99 years after the events of the original Marathon game and hundreds of years since the establishment of the now‑dead colony. Players scavenge maps—futuristic research facilities, lush forests and more—battling other players (PvP) and AI enemies (PvE) as they seek better loot and a way to extract, keeping what they bring out and earning cosmetics and seasonal power along the way. Players will work from the planet surface toward the Cryo Archive, described as the first floor of the UESC Marathon orbiting above.
Content not in the slam and Season 1
The Server Slam will not include all maps and features coming to the full game. At launch the game will have two more maps—Outpost and Cryo Archive (which 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 depth—zones, factions, contracts, gear, progression depth and some secrets—are expected to arrive when Season 1 kicks off.
Tips, streaming and community
Marathon game director Joe Ziegler shared a set of 11 tips aimed at beginners ahead of the Server Slam; those tips were edited for clarity and highlighted before the weekend. Bungie also notes that throughout the Server Slam players will be able to tune in to streamers and snag cosmetic rewards tied to watching broadcasts, with full claiming details available on support pages. The studio is monitoring the event closely while players stress the systems.
Marathon’s Server Slam offers a final preview of the extraction shooter before its March 5 launch, giving players on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S a chance to test progression, earn exclusive emblem and background cosmetics, and bank arrival caches that will unlock when the full game goes live.
Are you planning to hop into the Marathon Server Slam this weekend?
