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The Marathon Server Slam was a free, limited-time preview that ran from February 26 to March 2, 2026. It has ended, so players can no longer join the event. Bungie used the weekend as a technical stress test ahead of Marathon’s March 5 launch.
When was the Marathon Server Slam?
Bungie scheduled the Server Slam worldwide from February 26, 2026, at 10 AM Pacific Time to March 2, 2026, at 10 AM Pacific Time. The event is over.
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Bungie described the Server Slam as a technical stress test ahead of the game’s March 5, 2026 launch. Login queues were likely, especially at peak times, and Bungie warned players to expect possible disconnects, error codes, bugs, and short-notice server maintenance. Bungie’s event announcement explained that the test was intended to exercise the game’s infrastructure at scale.
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The preview ran on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Cross-play and cross-save were enabled, so players could team up across platforms and carry their accounts between them.
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No PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass membership was required to participate in the Server Slam. Bungie said an active online subscription would be required for console play at full launch; that launch requirement is separate from the event’s access rules.
Could players preload it?
No. Bungie said preloading was unavailable for the Server Slam, to reduce server load when the event began. The event client’s current download or playability status is not established by the cited event information.
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- Four-player madness! - you can't spell Nippon marathon without 'P', 'a', 'R', 'T' And *checks letters* 'I', we suppose... Solo play is supported, but grab up to four pads and enjoy the supreme Silliness of gaming's greatest marathon.
- see all of Japan! - Cross the entirety of the land of Nippon in a series of creative courses spanning busy city streets, village lanes, bustling markets & More! Wacky characters! - Go toe-to-toe with some of the coolest contestants who ever did, player... Contest! Lobster-man J Darwin, onesie-obsessive Elizabeth nishibori, school uniform fan zenbei "xen bae" And the completely normal snuguru Maestro
- epic pratfalls! - swinging poles! Giant face-slapping fish! Cyclists! Shiba Inu! Panes of glass! Traffic! False doors! Barrels! Rolling Beams! Wobbly planks! Flying fruit! More Shiba Inu! Earthquakes!!!!!
- tons of surprises! - you never know what will happen next in Nippon marathon. Perhaps you'll find time for an impromptu spot of slot machine fun Maybe a news anchor will Jet Pack in to Interview you on the racetrack Heck, anything is possible...
- drop-in/drop-out play! - random pedestrian passing by your couch and wants to play Not a problem. Whatever the cause, Hop in and out for the ultimate, flexible party get-together!
What did the Server Slam include?
The test offered an early slice of Marathon, not the full game. Players could explore two areas on Tau Ceti IV and try early contracts, progression, and several Runner options.
Two zones and five faction tracks
- Perimeter: An expansion on the outskirts of the colony.
- Dire Marsh: The colony’s agricultural research hub.
Players could take early contracts and progress through early levels and upgrade trees for five factions: CyberAcme, NuCaloric, Traxus, MIDA, and Arachne.
Runner shells and ways to play
The Server Slam let players try five of the six Runner shells planned for launch, along with Rook, which Bungie described as its scavenger experience. Players could join a crew, run solo, or form and break alliances using proximity chat.
What was planned for launch and Season 1
Bungie said the full launch and Season 1 would add the Outpost and Cryo Archive zones, more faction contracts and progression, the Sekiguchi Genetics faction, Ranked mode, and the sixth Runner shell, Thief. These were planned additions—not Server Slam content.
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- Four-player madness! - You can't spell Nippon Marathon without 'P', 'A', 'R', 'T' and *checks letters* 'I', we suppose… Solo play is supported, but grab up to four pads and enjoy the supreme silliness of gaming's greatest marathon.
- See all of Japan! - Cross the entirety of the land of Nippon in a series of creative courses spanning busy city streets, village lanes, bustling markets & more!
- Wacky characters! - Go toe-to-toe with some of the coolest contestants who ever did, er… contest! Lobster-man J DARWIN, onesie-obsessive Elizabeth Nishibori, school uniform fan Zenbei "Xen Bae" and the completely normal Snuguru Maestro Epic pratfalls! - Swinging poles! Giant face-slapping fish! Cyclists! Shiba Inu! Panes of glass! Traffic! False doors! Barrels! Rolling beams! Wobbly planks! Flying fruit! More Shiba Inu! EARTHQUAKES!!!!!
- Tons of surprises! - You never know what will happen next in Nippon Marathon. Perhaps you'll find time for an impromptu spot of slot machine fun? Maybe a news anchor will jetpack in to interview you on the racetrack? Heck, anything is possible…
- Drop-in/drop-out play! - Random pedestrian passing by your couch and wants to play? Not a problem. Whatever the cause, hop in and out for the ultimate, flexible party get-together!
Did Server Slam progress carry over?
No. Gameplay progression from the Server Slam did not carry over to launch. Bungie said qualifying rewards would be granted at launch, while learning the zones, contracts, and Runner shells could give returning players a knowledge advantage.
What rewards were tied to the Server Slam?
Bungie’s event guide linked launch caches to these milestones:
| Milestone | Launch reward |
|---|---|
| Complete the first mission | Standard Arrival Cache: 6 standard implants, 4 Runner shell cores, 6 weapon chip mods, and the Overrun and Hardline weapons. |
| Reach Runner Level 10 | Enhanced Arrival Cache: 6 enhanced implants, 2 enhanced Runner shell cores per shell (12 total), 4 enhanced weapon chip mods, and Enhanced Magnum and Enhanced Hardline. |
| Reach Runner Level 30 | Deluxe Arrival Cache: 3 deluxe and 3 enhanced implants; 1 deluxe and 1 enhanced Runner shell core per shell (12 total); 2 deluxe and 2 enhanced weapon chip mods; Deluxe Magnum, Enhanced Volley Rifle, and an Enhanced Base Backpack. |
Everyone who completed the introductory mission could earn a unique emblem and player background. Bungie also described five Twitch Drops, earned by watching Marathon streams for one to four hours, linking Bungie and Twitch accounts, and claiming the drops on Twitch. Its event FAQ said drops could take up to 48 hours to arrive in the in-game mailbox and had to be redeemed by March 31. Those were event-specific deadlines; whether any drops or other rewards remain claimable now is not established by the cited event information.
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