An open beta for Bungie’s upcoming shooter Marathon has been announced, and it starts soon. During the Sony State of Play today, Bungie announced that an open beta on all platforms will take place February 26 through March 2. The “server slam,” as it’s called, will let players try the game at the low cost of $0 just before it releases on March 5.
During the server slam, players will get to experience an “introduction to Marathon’s gameplay.” This includes:
- Infil into two zones:
- Perimeter
- Dire Marsh
- Take on the opening contracts for five of Marathon’s factions
- Try out all six Runner Shells, plus Rook in scavenger mode
- Solo queue, proximity chat, and more
PlayStation Plus subscribers are getting special bonuses for taking part in the server slam. These include weapon charms based on other Sony games, including Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, and Helldivers 2. These include:
- Ghost of Yōtei – Onryō Weapon Charm
- Death Stranding 2 – Battle Guitar Weapon Charm
- Helldivers 2 – For Freedom Weapon Charm
The existence of an open beta is no surprise, as Bungie said in January that it would offer a free test for the game for everyone at some point before launch.
Everyone who takes part in the server slam will get a special emblem and player banner that denotes that they played the beta.
Marathon has endured multiple controversies already, with Bungie settling a case after art plagiarism allegations, while the studio has also faced questions about whether games like Marathon are remnants of the past. In GameSpot’s preview of Marathon from April 2025, GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain said, “A paid game that is light on content but full of hopes, dreams, and ambitions may not be enough to inspire in others the same confidence I have in Bungie.”
Marathon was delayed indefinitely in June 2025, with Bungie writing at the time that it needed more time to “craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion.” Bungie went dark for some time before recently resurfacing to announce a March 5 release date at a $40 price point.
Preorders alone have pushed Marathon into Steam’s best-seller list, so there are signs of momentum ahead of launch.
Marathon is the latest entry in Bungie’s series, which began in 1994. Sequels were released in 1995 and 1996, meaning the new Marathon is coming out 30 years after the last one.