If you’re a fan of extraction shooters but haven’t given Marathon a go yet, then there’s good news on the way, as Bungie has announced that it’ll be making the game free-to-play for a full week. The move coincides with the launch of Marathon’s second season, which features a host of new content aimed at not only maintaining the existing player base, but bringing new eyes to the title as well.
The free week will run from Tuesday, June 2 to Tuesday, June 9, meaning gamers will have seven full days to jump aboard the UESC Marathon and launch onto Tau Ceti IV in search of loot. The good news is that, with Season 2, all gear is being reset, so if you’re hopping on to try the FPS game for the first time, you won’t find yourself at a major disadvantage. Any progress you make will also carry over when the free week ends, so if you try out Marathon and love it so much that you decide to buy the game, you can continue from where you left off.
For Bungie, Marathon’s free week is an opportunity to try to attract new players to the title, which has had a difficult launch despite good reviews. Within a week of its release, the extraction shooter fell out of Steam’s 50 most played games and has seen a steady decline in active players ever since. For developers, it’s difficult to arrest a slide like that, but with a host of new additions and the free week, Bungie will be hoping that Marathon gets a much-needed shot in the arm.
It also comes at the end of a difficult spell for the developer, who announced last week that June 9’s Moment of Triumph update will be Destiny 2’s last content drop, with Bungie no longer working on the game after that point. The end of their active support is also expected to lead to significant layoffs, as the company seemingly has no plans to begin development on a third installment in the franchise.
Marathon’s open week and Season 2 launch simultaneously, with the major content patch seeing Tau Ceti IV falling into a state of darkness. The new Dire Marsh (Night) Zone will test your ability to survive in the dark, while the patch also introduces the new Sentinel Runner Shell, which, according to Bungie, is “perfect for controlling space and defending areas.” If that’s not enough, it’ll also include two new weapons: the KKV-9SD pistol-frame SMG and the D45 Battle Pistol.
Marathon’s free week kicks off Tuesday, June 2 on Steam and runs until Tuesday, June 9. It will also be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
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