Marathon Launch Imminent! Server Slam Rewards & Critical Pre-Load Info Inside!

Alright, listen up, Runners! Bungie's highly anticipated sci-fi extraction shooter, Marathon, is about to drop. We're talking launch day tomorrow, Thursday, March 5th, and the hype is real. After what felt like an eternity of teasers and previews, it's finally time to dive headfirst into this new universe. But before you do, let's make sure you're prepped and ready to dominate on day one.

Marathon Launch Imminent! Server Slam Rewards & Cr...

First things first: launch times. Get your alarms set! For us on the West Coast, that's 10 a.m. PST. East Coasters, you're looking at 1 p.m. EST. Across the pond? London gets it at 6 p.m. GMT, and Berlin at 7 p.m. CET. Our friends down under in Sydney will have to wait until the wee hours of March 6th, at 5 a.m. AEDT. And for those in Seoul and Tokyo, it's also a March 6th launch, at 3 a.m. KST and JST respectively. Basically, figure out your timezone and get ready to go!

Good news for the overly eager: pre-loading is LIVE! If you pre-ordered Marathon, get that download started ASAP, no matter what platform you're on. And speaking of platforms, Marathon is launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Crossplay and cross-save are fully supported, which is a massive win. I'm personally excited to hop between my PS5 and PC without losing any progress. One crucial thing to remember: console players will need a PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core subscription to play. Don't get caught out!

Now, if you were one of the brave souls who jumped into the Server Slam last weekend (I was!), you'll need to download a fresh copy of the game. The Server Slam client is NOT the same as the launch client. Think of it as a clean slate. But hey, at least you got a sneak peek! Bungie's taken the feedback from the Server Slam to heart, making adjustments to things like PvP frequency on the Beginner map. Expect even more tweaks down the line. Speaking of changes, the launch build is PACKED. We're talking full faction and contract progression, six Runner shells, three zones (including the new Outpost), 28 weapons, mods, implants, cores...the whole shebang! There are earnable cosmetics, achievements, and even storytelling elements woven into the Codex. The depth is impressive.

Looking ahead, Bungie’s got an interesting endgame planned. They're calling it the Cryo Archive. It’s a zone located within the derelict UESC Marathon, but you won't be able to access it right away. You'll need to "unlock the way into orbit" which apparently unlocks in the second half of March. Basically, you need to grind a little first. All in all, Marathon looks like it's shaping up to be a solid addition to the extraction shooter genre. It's got crossplay and cross-save functionality, and it offers a wide variety of content that promises to keep players engaged for weeks to come.