The Marathon Server Slam starts soon, which will give everyone their first opportunity to try out Bungie’s new extraction shooter before its full launch on Thursday, March 5. Marathon sees you play as a “Runner” in either solo, duos, or trios, and you must explore the planet of Tau Ceti IV to take down enemies in both PvP and PvE to find rare loot and valuables.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to play in the Marathon Server Slam and get access to the beta.
How to play in the Marathon Server Slam
The Marathon beta is free for everyone, so you don’t need to purchase the game to play. Specific details haven’t been shared by Bungie, but chances are, you’ll just need to download it from the store on Steam, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X. It runs from Thursday, Feb. 26 to Monday, March 2, and cross-play and cross-save are both enabled too, but progression will not carry forward to the full game.
However, there are rewards for playing early, as detailed in an official blog post:
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Complete your first mission: Unlock the Standard Arrival Cache
- 6 standard implants
- 4 standard runner shell cores
- 6 standard weapon chip mods
- Weapons: Overrun and Hardline
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Reach Runner Level 10: Unlock the Enhanced Arrival Cache (Green)
- 6 enhanced implants
- 12 enhanced runner shell cores
- 4 enhanced weapon chip mods
- Weapons: Enhanced Magnum and Enhanced Hardline
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Reach Runner Level 30: Unlock the Deluxe Arrival Cache (Blue)
- 6 deluxe and enhanced implants
- 12 deluxe and enhanced runner shell cores
- 4 deluxe and enhanced weapon chip mods
- Weapons: Deluxe Magnum and Enhanced Volley Rifle
- Backpack: Deluxe Base Backpack
Not to mention, simply completing the introductory mission will unlock a unique emblem and player background. All of your rewards will be waiting when the game releases.
The Marathon Server Slam, in Bungie’s words, is “enough to get comfortable, not enough to see everything.” Two out of four zones will be available — Perimeter and Dire Marsh — and you can accept early contracts for five different factions. Five out of the six Runner shells (classes, essentially) will be available, alongside Rook, the “scavenger experience.”
