Marathon server slam announced, open preview weekend starts February 26 as Bungie prepares for long-awaited March launch

Bungie will host a Marathon server slam from Thursday, February 26 through March 2 to give players a chance to test the game and stress-test the servers. The server slam will be available on all platforms.

Announced at today's PlayStation State of Play live show, the Marathon server slam is described by game director Joe Ziegler as an open beta preview – one last chance for everyone (on console, everyone with an online subscription) to sample Bungie's ambitious extraction shooter.

"The weekend will feature an introduction to Marathon's gameplay, with additional zones, factions, contracts, and more to come at launch and during Season 1," Bungie says in a blog post.

Participating in the server slam will earn rewards for the full game come launch on March 5, including a cosmetic emblem and banner. "You'll also be able to earn a tiered gear package for Marathon's launch, which includes weapons, body implants, and more to help you on your first runs," Bungie says.

On PS5, PlayStation Plus members can additionally claim weapon charms inspired by Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, and Helldivers 2.

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The server slam will start and end at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST. This limited version of the game will include two zones, Perimeter and Dire Marsh, and the opening contracts for five of Marathon's factions. All six Runner Shells, including the free-loadout-on-legs class Rook, will be playable. "Solo queue, proximity chat, and more" are also included, Bungie says.

Season 1 of Marathon, the launch season, will bring two more zones in the form of Outpost and Cryo Archive. All six factions will be fully unlocked for progression, unlocking new perks and vendor items, and ranked mode will be added in.

Sony is "very confident" in Marathon after playtests revealed "good points," as well as "not good points" that have since been changed for Bungie's Arc Raiders challenger.