Marathon, a player vs player vs environment game, set to release March 5th by Bungie Inc., has already gained a lot of players. A ‘server slam’ was held 24/7 through February 26 through March 2nd. A server slam, for those who don’t know, is a free to play version of a game, usually only open for a set amount of time, that is used to test problems, limits, and gather feedback. Fans had been awaiting this event as soon as the official trailer came out on YouTube. This trailer not only displayed the games gorgeous graphics but also recited a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley entitled “Ozymandias”.
Marathon is not only a visually attractive game but also has a long history. Bungie Inc., the producers of Marathon, have made many monumental games since being founded in 1991. Believe it or not, Bungie’s first game was entitled Marathon. Released in 1994, Marathon is the predecessor to the new Marathon coming out this year. While this name is not as familiar to most as Bungie’s more infamous games, such as Halo and Destiny, it still is monumental in the history of Bungie Inc. Destiny one and two brought many new players in because of its unique style of gameplay. This style of gameplay utilizes class-based abilities and big impacts based on the players actions. Nowadays the Halo and Destiny player bases are huge even after being released years ago, so when news that Bungie’s first major game was getting a continuation in 2026, fans freaked. Even though Destiny and Marathon are similiar there are a some key differences. For example, Marathon is a player vs player vs environment game while Destiny is a player vs environment game. What does this mean exactly? Well, in Marathon the player is forced to not only face a harsh environment but also other players while Destiny focuses solely on facing the player against the environment with an optional player vs player mechanic.
Before exposing some tips and tricks for new players, I interviewed Wyatt Lozano, a senior at Arvada West Highschool, who has played in the server slam. Additionally, he has played Bungie’s other games, such as the entirety of Halo and an estimated 1500 hours on Destiny 2. One of my first questions was to ask after participating in the server slam, what were some initial positives and negatives from the game?
Initial positives were as stated, “The game feels incredibly well designed, and the progression system is also well designed, having a constant goal that the contract system allows is very nice, to say the least.” A slight pause from him, then he explained some critiques, “the ability to navigate around menus and understand what’s happening sometimes falls apart, though I do believe that will be fixed in the future.” This is the exact purpose of the server slam, to get feedback from players like Wyatt. As someone who did indeed observe Wyatt play for a brief time, I can agree that the menu was awfully confusing and might be hard for new players to navigate around. I then asked about his personally playing style and which player shell he would be using, he stated, “I appreciate the movement of vandal and or thief, though thief was not an active shell in the server slam.” Finally, my most important question, which will lead to the next segment, any advice for new players? “The game is very difficult when you start going on a long losing streak, which is why they implemented the rook system, so that way you can go in, and scavenge items instead of having issues such as losing all your gear and money.”
The advice Wyatt gave is extremely important to keep in mind as a new player. Giving up can come easily after a long losing streak, as with any game. Other pieces of advice come from Joe Ziegler who was interviewed at Forbes and focused on tips for the players. He advises not to rush objectives, as some will need time. He also said, and this is key, to only fight with what you believe you can win against. If you fight everything there is a good chance you will lose. These are the pain takeaways from Joe’s interview with Forbes.
All in all, Marathon’s release is extremely exciting. The visuals and the actual play is wonderful. The artstyle is wonderfully unique and the play as well, I imagine many games in the future will take inspiration from this game. The server slam was not only a way to get players excited but also a great way for producers to get feedback. Players can not only expect an amazing new game, but also expect their feedback from the server slam to be heard. I highly recommend playing this unique new game.
Works Cited
“11 “Marathon” Server Slam Tips from the Game Director Himself.” Https://Www.forbes.com/Sites/Paultassi/2026/02/26/11-Marathon-Server-Slam-Tips-From-The-Game-Director-Himself/, Paul Tassi, 26 Feb. 2026.
“From Microsoft to Sony: A Brief History of Bungie.” San Mateo Daily Journal, 10 Sept. 2024, www.smdailyjournal.com/sponsored/from-microsoft-to-sony-a-brief-history-of-bungie/article_5cf56be6-6ed8-11ef-b2c4-5f9d42f689cd.html.
Hajrudin Krdzic. “Marathon vs Destiny 2: Key Differences (2026).” The Escapist, 24 Feb. 2026, www.escapistmagazine.com/marathon-vs-destiny2/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
“Marathon | Verify Age.” Www.destinythegame.com, www.marathonthegame.com/.
“Marathon Official Trailer.” Youtu.be, 2026, youtu.be/fvbEnWLRo1s?si=bnI1lGgMa1heZW7k. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
“Marathon Server Slam Begins Tomorrow February 26 – March 2.” Bungie, 25 Feb. 2026, press.bungie.com/Marathon-Server-Slam-begins-tomorrow-February-26-March-2. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
