Quick answer: Search for "Marathon Server Slam" on Steam, PlayStation Store, or Xbox Store, download the free client, and start playing — no pre-order, sign-up, or subscription required.
Marathon Server Slam schedule and regional start times
The Marathon Server Slam is a four-day open preview running from February 26 at 10 AM PT / 6 PM UTC through March 2 at 10 AM PT / 6 PM UTC. It's available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S simultaneously, with a synchronized global launch. The full game follows on March 5.
| Region | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| US Pacific | 10 AM PST, Feb 26 | 10 AM PST, Mar 2 |
| US Eastern | 1 PM EST, Feb 26 | 1 PM EST, Mar 2 |
| UK | 6 PM GMT, Feb 26 | 6 PM GMT, Mar 2 |
| Central Europe | 7 PM CET, Feb 26 | 7 PM CET, Mar 2 |
| São Paulo | 3 PM BRT, Feb 26 | 3 PM BRT, Mar 2 |
| Tokyo | 3 AM JST, Feb 27 | 3 AM JST, Mar 3 |
| Sydney | 5 AM AEDT, Feb 27 | 5 AM AEDT, Mar 3 |
| Auckland | 7 AM NZDT, Feb 27 | 7 AM NZDT, Mar 3 |
How to download and join on each platform
The Server Slam is completely free. You don't need to pre-order Marathon, sign up for anything, or hold an active PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass membership. Just grab the client from your platform's store once the event window opens.
Step 1: Open your platform's digital storefront — Steam, PlayStation Store, or Xbox Store — and search for "Marathon." Look for the Server Slam listing specifically, not the main pre-order page. On Steam, the Server Slam appears as an add-on tied to Marathon's store page. Xbox players can also find it through the Xbox app by searching the Game Pass section for "Marathon Server Slam."
Step 2: Download the client. There is no preload option — Bungie disabled preloading to reduce server strain at launch. The download size is relatively modest at roughly 12–16 GB depending on platform, well under the estimated 42 GB full retail build.
Step 3: Link your Bungie.net account if you haven't already. This step ensures all rewards you earn during the preview — emblems, Arrival Caches, Twitch Drops — carry over to the full game on March 5. Players who plan to switch between PC and console should also set up cross-save through Bungie's account portal before jumping in.
Cross-play and cross-save are both active during the Server Slam, so you can squad up with friends on any supported platform.
What you can play during the Server Slam
The preview offers a meaningful slice of Marathon's extraction shooter loop, though it's not the full launch experience. Two zones on Tau Ceti IV are open for infiltration. Perimeter is an edge-site expansion on the colony's outskirts, while Dire Marsh serves as the colony's agricultural research hub. A third zone, Outpost, appeared in earlier playtests but is being held back for launch.
Early contracts are available for five of Marathon's six factions — CyberAcme, NuCaloric, Traxus, MIDA, and Arachne — each with opening progression trees and faction levels you can climb. The sixth faction, Sekiguchi Genetics, won't appear until the full release.
Five of the six Runner shells planned for launch are playable: Assassin, Destroyer, Recon, Triage, and Vandal. You also get access to Rook, a scavenger-focused experience that fills a distinct role. The sixth shell, Thief, is reserved for March 5. Solo queue, squad play, and proximity chat are all supported.
Server Slam rewards that carry over to launch
Your character level and raw gear from the preview won't transfer to the full game. Instead, Bungie uses a banked loot system — hitting specific milestones during the Server Slam unlocks Arrival Caches filled with weapons and gear that get delivered to your account when Marathon launches on March 5.
Everyone who completes the introductory mission earns an exclusive Beta.exe emblem and Complex Study player background, marking you as part of the first wave of Runners. These cosmetics are exclusive to Server Slam participants.
Beyond that, three tiers of loot scale with your progression:
| Milestone | Cache | Key contents |
|---|---|---|
| Complete first mission | Standard Arrival Cache | 6x Standard implants, 4x shell cores, 6x weapon chip mods, Overrun and Hardline weapons |
| Runner Level 10 | Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green) | 6x Enhanced implants, 12x Enhanced shell cores (2 per shell), 4x Enhanced weapon chip mods, Enhanced Magnum, Enhanced Hardline |
| Runner Level 30 | Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue) | 6x Deluxe/Enhanced implants, 12x Deluxe/Enhanced shell cores, 4x Deluxe/Enhanced weapon chip mods, Deluxe Magnum, Enhanced Volley Rifle, Enhanced Base Backpack |
Rewards arrive via the in-game mailbox at launch. Bungie has noted that rollout may take some time, so don't panic if items aren't immediately visible when you first log in on March 5.
Twitch Drops during the Server Slam
Five cosmetic Twitch Drop rewards are available throughout the preview window. To earn them, link your Bungie and Twitch accounts, then watch any stream in the Marathon Twitch category.
- Twitch Sponsored Kit (standard in-game loot) — 1 hour of watch time
- SMILEYworm profile emblem — 1 hour
- WEAVEworm profile background — 2 hours
- GLOWworm weapon sticker — 3 hours
- HMG Twitch Engine weapon skin — 4 hours
Drops get granted to your Bungie.net profile and delivered in-game at launch. The Twitch Sponsored Kit may take up to 48 hours to appear in your mailbox and must be redeemed by March 31.
Expect instability — that's the point
Bungie is explicit that the Server Slam is first and foremost a technical stress test. The studio has been running monthly playtests for feedback, but this is the first time Marathon's global infrastructure is being tested at full scale. Login queues during peak hours are likely. Disconnects, error codes, and unscheduled maintenance windows are all possibilities. When something breaks, Bungie treats it as useful data for hardening the March 5 launch.
For real-time status updates, the Marathon Dev Team posts on Twitter/X and Bluesky, and Bungie's server status accounts track outages as they happen. The official Marathon Discord is another reliable channel for live communication during the weekend.
What's being saved for launch and Season 1
The Server Slam is deliberately limited. Marathon's full release on March 5 and the start of Season 1 will add two more zones — Outpost, set within a UESC military installation, and Cryo Archive, an endgame zone aboard the derelict UESC Marathon that unlocks during Season 1. The Thief Runner shell, full faction progression for all six factions, including Sekiguchi Genetics, and Ranked mode are all reserved for the post-launch window. Bungie has also teased unspecified "secrets and surprises" beyond what's been publicly outlined.
If you're on the fence about Marathon, the Server Slam is the lowest-friction way to evaluate the game's extraction loop before committing to the $40 purchase. Four days is enough time to hit Runner Level 30 and bank the best Arrival Cache if you put in the hours — and everything you earn will be waiting when the full game goes live a few days later.