Bungie just opened up Marathon for free, and you have until March 2 to play it without spending a dime. This is the “Server Slam” — a 96-hour open preview of the full game dropping March 5. No PS Plus required on PS5. No Game Pass needed on Xbox. Just download and go.
If you’ve been curious whether Bungie’s next big swing is worth $39.99, this weekend answers that question for free.
What Is Marathon?
Marathon is Bungie’s new PvPvE extraction shooter — the studio’s first original IP since Destiny launched in 2014. You play as a bio-cybernetic Runner on the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV, scavenging for loot while fighting AI enemies and other player Runners who want your gear.
The extraction shooter genre has exploded since Tarkov proved people would voluntarily torture themselves losing gear they spent hours collecting. Marathon’s pitch: cleaner and more accessible than Tarkov, more grounded than Destiny’s PvP modes, with a distinct sci-fi aesthetic — biomechanical and eerie, closer to Alex Garland’s Annihilation than anything in Bungie’s back catalog.
You play solo or in crews of up to three. Drop into a zone, find loot, survive long enough to extract, and keep what you found. Die before extraction and you lose your run’s loot. Other Runners can kill you and take yours. That’s the loop.
What’s in the Server Slam
The preview includes two zones, five Runner shells (playable characters with different passive abilities), and faction contracts to work through. It’s a limited slice — more maps, factions, and gear are held for March 5 launch — but enough to know if the core loop clicks for you.
The Server Slam runs during Steam Next Fest, so it shows up on Steam’s front page as a free download. Cross-play and cross-save are fully enabled across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC — start a run on Xbox Friday night, pick it up on Steam Saturday morning without losing progress.
Rewards That Carry Over to Launch
Here’s the real reason to play this weekend instead of waiting for March 5:
- Complete your first mission: Standard Arrival Cache — 6 implants, 4 Runner shell cores, 6 weapon chip mods, plus two weapons (Overrun and Hardline). Unique emblem and player background included.
- Reach Runner Level 10: Enhanced Arrival Cache — better-tier versions of the above plus an Enhanced Magnum.
- Reach Runner Level 30: Deluxe Arrival Cache — Deluxe and Enhanced implants, cores for all five shells, a Deluxe Magnum, an Enhanced Volley Rifle, and a Deluxe Base Backpack exclusive to Server Slam participants.
That backpack matters. In an extraction shooter, carry capacity is real power — it determines how much loot you can grab per run. Bungie says it won’t be available after the Server Slam ends. Twitch Drops are also active if you’d rather watch streams and grab cosmetics passively.
The Honest Take: What to Know Before You Download
Marathon has real skeptics, and they’re not wrong.
The seasonal reset is the biggest concern. Every new season wipes all Runners back to zero — all that loot you extracted, gone. Bungie says resets bring new zones, weapons, and story. The Destiny community learned the hard way what Bungie’s seasonal cadence can feel like after a few cycles. If the word “season pass” already makes you tired, go in knowing that’s the model here.
The $39.99 price point. Not free-to-play, not full-price. Bungie hasn’t revealed their full monetization plan, but a cosmetics store and season pass are the obvious direction. Arc Raiders launched at a similar price and found an audience; Marathon has bigger brand recognition behind it but also higher expectations riding on it.
Console requirements: Xbox Series X|S and PS5 only — no last-gen support. On PC it’s Steam only, no Epic or other storefronts.
None of that changes what Bungie actually does better than almost anyone: gunplay and movement feel. They built Halo’s multiplayer and Destiny’s shooting — two of the best-handling shooters ever made. Early hands-on previews called the movement crisp and the extraction tension real. The Runner system creates meaningful character choice without the hard power imbalances of a hero shooter.
How to Download the Server Slam
- Steam: Search “Marathon” — free download, also visible on Steam Next Fest
- Xbox Series X|S: Search in the Microsoft Store — part of Xbox Free Play Days, no Game Pass tier required
- PS5: Search “Marathon” in the PlayStation Store — no PS Plus required per Bungie’s official press release
Server Slam ends Monday, March 2 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Full game launches March 5 for $39.99 Standard or $59.99 Deluxe on all three platforms.
Worth noting: March 5 is an absurdly stacked day. Planet of Lana 2 hits Game Pass day one and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lands on Game Pass the same date. If you have Game Pass, that’s two strong games for free on launch day while Marathon asks for $40. Something to weigh.
Verdict: Download It Before Monday
You’ve got the weekend and it costs nothing. Even if you’re skeptical about seasonal resets or Bungie’s live-service track record, the Server Slam exists specifically so you can test the gameplay before paying $40. Finish one mission for the Standard cache. Hit Level 10 if you have a few hours free. If the loop hooks you, grind to Level 30 and grab that exclusive backpack — it won’t be obtainable after March 2.
Looking for more free gaming this week? PS Plus March 2026 brings PGA Tour 2K25 and two other games to subscribers starting March 3. And if you want something free right now with no strings attached, Boxes: Lost Fragments is still free on Epic through March 5.
