Marathon Server Slam Begins Feb 26
Bungie confirmed an early access "Server Slam" for Marathon from February 26 through March 2, allowing players to test the extraction shooter's servers and gameplay before the official release. The pre-launch event comes with a new dramatic trailer and will provide critical feedback for the competitive sci-fi FPS revival. This marks a significant opportunity for shooter fans to experience Bungie's return to the Marathon universe.
- The original *Marathon* trilogy, a series of first-person shooters for Mac OS released between 1994 and 1996, is widely considered a spiritual predecessor to Bungie's own *Halo* franchise. - This new title is set on the planet Tau Ceti IV, the site of a lost colony where 30,000 inhabitants mysteriously disappeared—an event directly connected to the lore of the original games. - Players will embody "Runners," cybernetic mercenaries who can enter matches solo or in crews of three, competing against other players and AI-controlled enemies to secure valuable artifacts and loot before successfully extracting. - Rather than a traditional campaign, the game's story is designed to evolve over time through seasons, with player actions and decisions directly influencing the narrative. - The project is Bungie's first new IP in over a decade and is being led by Game Director Joe Ziegler, who previously served as the director for Riot Games' tactical shooter, *Valorant*. - The full game is scheduled for release on March 5, 2026, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows, featuring full cross-play and cross-save functionality. - The narrative of the original 1994 game revolved around the player, a security officer, fighting against an alien slaver race called the Pfhor aboard the colony ship *Marathon*, aided and manipulated by the ship's rampant AIs.
