Bungie Announces Marathon Server Slam Beta for February

Bungie announced a pre-launch beta test for its upcoming extraction shooter Marathon on Thursday during Sony's State of Play livestream, offering players across multiple platforms a chance to experience the game ahead of its March 5 release. The event, dubbed the Server Slam, will run from February 26 to March 2 and serve as both a server stress test and an introductory demo to the title's core gameplay.

The beta will be available for free on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, coinciding with Steam Next Fest. Console players will need an active PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core subscription to participate, though no preorder is required. It features a limited scope of content, including infiltration into two zones, Perimeter and Dire Marsh; opening contracts for five of Marathon's factions; and all six available Runner shells, with an additional scavenger mode for the Rook shell. Players can engage in solo queue matches and use proximity chat, addressing feedback from earlier tests. While character progress will not carry over to the full game, participants can unlock tiered gear packages, a special emblem, and a banner that will transfer to their profiles upon...