Marathon Is Going Free-To-Play, But Not For Long

Marathon will be available as a free trial from June 2 through June 9 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Progress made during the trial carries over if the game is purchased for $40. PS5 players can access online play without needing a PS Plus subscription. The trial aligns with the start of the game’s second season, which adds the Night Marsh zone, a new Sentinel Runner shell, and more deadly hardware. Starting a new season wipes player inventories, reducing the chance of encountering top-tier loot immediately. Additional updates include the Cradle system for leveling Runner shell stats, faster faction progression, a larger Vault, and quality-of-life improvements.

"With a new season starting soon, Bungie is offering Marathon at its best price yet next week: free. For the low price of nothing, anyone interested in checking out the extraction shooter on PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X|S can grab a free trial for the game starting June 2 and running through June 9, with progress carrying over if they decide to drop $40 on it. PS5 players won't need a PS Plus subscription to go online, either."

"The June 2 date also coincides with the start of Marathon's second season, which will add the new Night Marsh zone, a new Sentinel Runner shell, and more deadly hardware. The important thing to note is that a new season also means that player inventories are wiped, leveling the playing field. This means that you won't have to worry about running into fellow Runners equipped with top-tier loot at the start of the season."

"Other updates coming in the season include the Cradle, a new system that will let you level up your Runner shell stats without needing to worry too much about faction progression, increased faction progression speed, a larger Vault, and several quality-of-life changes. If you're curious, Marathon is worth trying out as Bungie has put its own fresh spin on the extraction shooter genre."

""Bungie's slick extraction shooter is great at creating tense battles, incredible highs, and painful lows, with a future that's full of promise," Phil Hornshaw wrote in GameSpot's Marathon review."

Read at GameSpot