Marathon's Server Slam is a free, open preview weekend running from February 26 at 10:00 AM PT to March 2 at 10:00 AM PT across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. It doubles as both a stress test for Bungie's servers and a chance to bank gear for the full game, which launches March 5, 2026. Every reward you earn during the Server Slam will be waiting in your inventory on launch day.
Quick answer: Complete the introductory mission for an exclusive emblem and player background, then keep leveling — hitting Runner Level 10 and Runner Level 30 unlocks progressively better Arrival Caches filled with implants, Runner shell cores, weapon chip mods, and named weapons that carry over to the March 5 release.
Exclusive Emblem and Player Background
Finishing the introductory mission during the Server Slam grants a unique emblem and a player background. These are permanent cosmetics that mark you as one of the first wave of runners. They are profile-level items, meaning they won't be lost on death the way gameplay gear can be. Bungie has not indicated these cosmetics will return after the beta window closes, so they function as a limited-time badge of participation.
All Arrival Cache Rewards by Tier
Beyond the cosmetic emblem, your progression during the Server Slam determines which Arrival Caches you unlock. Each cache is a bundle of in-game equipment — weapons, implants, shell cores, and weapon chip mods — delivered to you when Marathon officially launches. Higher tiers include everything from the tiers below them.
| Requirement | Cache | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Complete first mission | Standard Arrival Cache | 6× Standard implants, 4× Standard Runner shell cores, 6× Standard weapon chip mods, Overrun (weapon), Hardline (weapon) |
| Reach Runner Level 10 | Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green) | 6× Enhanced implants, 12× Enhanced Runner shell cores (2 per shell), 4× Enhanced weapon chip mods, Enhanced Magnum (weapon), Enhanced Hardline (weapon) |
| Reach Runner Level 30 | Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue) | 3× Deluxe implants + 3× Enhanced implants, 6× Deluxe + 6× Enhanced Runner shell cores (1 each per shell), 2× Deluxe + 2× Enhanced weapon chip mods, Deluxe Magnum (weapon), Enhanced Volley Rifle (weapon), Deluxe Base Backpack |
The rarity of these items caps at blue (Rare). No shields are included, so the caches provide a meaningful but not overpowering head start. The Deluxe Base Backpack is notable because it increases your carrying capacity during extraction runs — a practical advantage in the opening hours of the full game.
What the Rewards Actually Do
If terms like "implants" and "shell cores" sound opaque, here is what they mean in practice. Implants are equippable items that boost your character's stats and grant passive abilities during a run. Runner shell cores power the game's class system — each of Marathon's six Runner shells uses cores to function, and having enhanced or deluxe cores gives you stronger baseline stats when you deploy a particular shell. Weapon chip mods slot into your guns to modify their behavior, improving things like stability or damage output.
All of these items are gameplay gear, not cosmetics. That means they follow extraction-shooter rules: if you bring them into a run and die without extracting, you lose them. The Arrival Caches essentially give you a stockpile of consumable equipment to burn through during your first several sessions, not a permanent power boost. You will eventually find or purchase equivalent gear from in-game vendors as you progress.
PlayStation Plus Weapon Charms
Players on PlayStation 5 with an active PlayStation Plus subscription can claim three exclusive weapon charms at launch. These are cosmetic attachments inspired by other PlayStation titles:
- Freedom Weapon Charm — themed after Helldivers 2
- Battle Guitar Weapon Charm — themed after Death Stranding 2
- Onryō Weapon Charm — themed after Ghost of Yōtei
Bungie has confirmed that equivalent weapon charms for Steam and Xbox players are planned, but has not yet revealed what they will look like or when they will arrive.
What You Can Play During the Server Slam
The Server Slam is not the full game, but it offers a substantial slice. Two zones are available: Perimeter, an edge-site expansion on the colony's outskirts, and Dire Marsh, an agricultural research hub with tighter sightlines that leans more toward PvP encounters. You can take on early contracts from five of the game's factions — CyberAcme, NuCaloric, Traxus, MIDA, and Arachne — each with its own progression tree and play-style emphasis. Some factions reward PvP-focused play, others lean PvE or loot-driven.
Five of the six launch Runner shells are playable, plus a scavenger shell called Rook. Rook works like a free-loadout run — you drop in with a basic kit and risk nothing, making it a low-stakes way to learn the maps. Matchmaking supports solo players and crews of up to three, and proximity chat is enabled. Crossplay and cross-save are both active across all three platforms.
What Changes at Full Launch
When Marathon launches on March 5, two additional zones arrive: Outpost, set inside a UESC military installation, and Cryo Archive, an endgame zone aboard a derelict UEC Marathon that unlocks during Season 1 and features higher-risk, higher-reward encounters. The sixth Runner shell, Thief, becomes available at launch — it can see loot through walls and deploy a drone to steal from NPCs and other players. All six factions open fully with deeper upgrade trees, and a sixth faction is introduced. A ranked competitive mode is also planned for Season 1.
The Server Slam rewards will be delivered to your account on launch day. If you hit Runner Level 30 during the beta, you will log in on March 5 with a full set of Deluxe and Enhanced gear ready to equip for your first real extraction run.
