Marathon's Server Slam ran February 26 to March 2, 2026 — a free preview before the March 5 launch. Bungie used it to stress servers, test anti-cheat, and bank launch rewards for participants.
TTK dominated feedback
Players died fast — AI and humans alike. Bungie called TTK "the hot topic" and kept reviewing Runner density instead of slowing damage globally.
Med and ammo economy
Scarcity felt harsh. Loadout budgets soaked meds; depleted items split the community.
Image credit: IGN
Anti-cheat dry run
Bungie asked for cheater reports during the Slam. That pipeline still feeds Season 2 ban waves — and the market at marathoncheat.com keeps updating anyway.
Launch rewards scaled with Runner level 10 and 30 milestones — worth knowing if you skipped the event.
