Highlights
- The Marathon Server Slam runs from February 26 to March 2, giving players free access to Bungie's PvP extraction shooter ahead of its March 5 launch.
- Rewards earned during the event, including exclusive emblems and weapon caches, carry over to the full game on launch day.
- Bungie is using the Server Slam to stress-test infrastructure and anti-cheat systems across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Following various development delays, Bungie has opened its PvP extraction shooter Marathon to the public. Starting February 26, players worldwide can drop into the colony world of Tau Ceti IV free of charge during the Marathon Server Slam, a preview event running until March 2. The full game launches on March 5 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
In Marathon, players control Runners, cybernetic mercenaries built to survive harsh environments while exploring a lost colony. But the Server Slam is more than a demo. It is a global infrastructure test. Bungie wants players to push the servers hard enough to surface technical issues before launch week.
The studio is also stress-testing its anti-cheat systems. Bungie has issued what it calls a "No Second Chances" warning to cheaters and asked the community to report any suspicious behavior, according to IGN. In a gaming landscape where legal battles over fair play and platform integrity continue to play out, that kind of preemptive stance is worth watching.
Access is straightforward. The event is free, with no PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass subscription required. Cross-play and cross-save work across all platforms. There is no preload; the client becomes available for download at your region's start time.
Marathon Server Slam global start times
Servers go live at the times listed below and run uninterrupted until the same times on March 2 or March 3, depending on region:
Thursday, February 26 (Ending Monday, March 2):
- PST (San Francisco): 10:00 a.m.
- CST (Austin, Mexico City): 12:00 p.m.
- EST (New York): 1:00 p.m.
- GMT (London): 6:00 p.m.
- CET (Paris): 7:00 p.m.
Friday, February 27 (Ending Tuesday, March 3):
- JST (Tokyo): 3:00 a.m.
- CST (Beijing): 3:00 a.m.
- AEST (Sydney): 5:00 a.m.
- NZST (Wellington): 7:00 a.m.
Missions and Activities
Squad play and solo runs are both supported. Proximity chat allows players to negotiate, bluff, or form temporary alliances on the fly.
- Two Infiltration Zones: Drop into "Perimeter" (an edge-site expansion on the colony's outskirts) and "Dire Marsh" (the colony’s former agricultural research hub).
- Faction Contracts: Take on early contracts and progress through the skill trees for five factions: CyberAcme, NuCaloric, Traxus, MIDA, and Arachne.
- Runner Shells: Test out five of the six cybernetic Runner shells available at launch, alongside a unique scavenger experience known as "Rook."
- Team Dynamics: Play as a crew or a solo Runner, and use proximity chat to form uneasy alliances with other players.
Bungie
What rewards carry over to Marathon's full launch?
Character progression and faction levels reset before the March 5 launch. But time spent during the Server Slam earns permanent loot and cosmetics that get delivered on launch day.
- Complete the First Mission: Unlocks the Standard Arrival Cache, featuring an exclusive emblem, player background, 6x Standard implants, 4x Standard Runner shell cores, 6x Standard weapon chip mods, and the Overrun and Hardline weapons.
- Reach Runner Level 10: Unlocks the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green), featuring 6x Enhanced implants, 12x Enhanced Runner shell cores, 4x Enhanced weapon chip mods, and the Enhanced Magnum and Enhanced Hardline weapons.
- Reach Runner Level 30: Unlocks the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue), featuring 6x Deluxe/Enhanced implants, 12x Deluxe/Enhanced shell cores, 4x Deluxe/Enhanced weapon chip mods, the Deluxe Magnum, the Enhanced Volley Rifle, and an Enhanced Base Backpack.
Bungie
Platform-exclusive bonuses for PS5, Steam, and Xbox players
PlayStation 5 players with an active PlayStation Plus subscription get bonus weapon charms at launch themed around Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Helldivers 2.
Steam players automatically receive an exclusive Crowbar Weapon Charm when the game releases, a nod to Valve's Half-Life franchise. Xbox Series X and S players get the Emerald Clutch and Emerald Catch Weapon Charms to customize their loadouts.
The Server Slam is Bungie's biggest pre-launch test for Marathon. With cross-platform play enabled and no paywall in the way, the studio is clearly betting on volume to surface problems early. Whether the servers hold up under that pressure will say a lot about how March 5 goes.
