Marathon Season 2 Open Play Week: Is It Free-to-Play? (June 2026)
Marathon is not switching to a free-to-play model with Season 2. Instead, Bungie is running a limited Open Play Week that lets anyone play the full game without buying it, timed to the launch of Season 2: Nightfall. The free window is short, and the game returns to its standard paid model once the week ends.
Quick answer: Marathon is free to play from Tuesday, June 2, 2026 to Tuesday, June 9, 2026 during Open Play Week on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. After June 9, the game is no longer free, but any progress you earn during the week carries over if you decide to buy it.
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Open Play Week is a free trial period, not a permanent free-to-play conversion. The full game is unlocked for everyone, then locks back behind a purchase once the week is over.
Open Play Week dates and platforms
The free access period runs for seven full days and lines up exactly with the start of Season 2. During this stretch, the complete game is available rather than a cut-down demo. On consoles you still need an active online subscription to play, since this is an online multiplayer game. On PC through Steam, online play has always been included.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Start | Tuesday, June 2, 2026 |
| End | Tuesday, June 9, 2026 |
| Platforms | Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X |
| Cost | Free during the week (console online subscription still required) |
| Progress | Carries over into Season 2 if you buy the game |
If you try the game during the week and want to keep going, your account progress stays attached, so you continue from where you stopped rather than starting over. Bungie has also said the game will be on sale around the start of Season 2.
Why this is a free week and not free-to-play
Players had been asking for a free trial for some time, and Open Play Week is the response. It is built to bring in new players and let existing owners pull friends in at the same moment, since everyone begins Season 2 on a clean slate after the seasonal reset. The earlier pre-launch beta only offered a reduced version of the game with limited maps and Runner shells, and that progress was wiped at launch. Open Play Week is different because it opens the full game and keeps your progress.
Full details on the Season 2 rollout are laid out in Bungie's Season 2 announcement.
Season 2: Nightfall start date and seasonal reset
Season 2: Nightfall begins on June 2, 2026, the same day Open Play Week opens. This is Marathon's first seasonal reset, which is why new players joining for the free week are not at a major disadvantage. Almost everyone is rebuilding their progression from the start.
The reset wipes a large amount of Season 1 progression but keeps cosmetics and other earned items. The breakdown below shows what resets and what stays.
| Resets at Season 2 start | Carries over into Season 2 |
|---|---|
| Runner Level | Cosmetics and weapons unlocked and redeemed in Season 1 |
| Ranked Level | Non-seasonal Codex challenge progress |
| Faction Level and Upgrades | Faction unlocks and first Priority Contract completion |
| Credits and other currencies (except LUX and SILK) | LUX and SILK balances |
| All inventory and Vault items | Rewards Pass progress |
| Schema purchases, Mailbox items, Priority Contracts | Cryo Archive Subroutines progress |
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Claim any unclaimed gear and equipment reward packages from factions and the Codex before June 2. Cosmetic styles, titles, and emblems complete automatically and stay available, but gameplay items in your inventory and Vault are wiped.
What Season 2: Nightfall adds
Nightfall pushes Tau Ceti IV into darkness, with the UESC stepping up security in response to Runner activity. The headline additions arriving on June 2 are below.
| Addition | Details |
|---|---|
| Dire Marsh (Night) Zone | A darker take on Dire Marsh with limited visibility and a slower, tenser pace, plus new combatants, contracts, and loot |
| Sentinel Runner shell | A defensive shell built for controlling space and defending areas, with explosive blocking, mines, and improved close-range weapon handling |
| New weapons | The KKV-9SD pistol-frame SMG and the D45 Battle Pistol |
| 8 new weapon chips | New mods and equipment for loadout customization |
| The Cradle | A new system for adjusting your Runner shell's statistical strengths and weaknesses |
| Faction and QoL changes | Faster faction progression, increased Vault space, UI improvements, and better matchmaking |
Season 1 rewards before the reset
Reaching certain Runner Levels in Season 1 grants CyberAcme Sponsored Kits you can claim through the Codex once Season 2 begins. The rewards stack, so a Level 75 player receives all four kits.
| Runner Level reached | Reward |
|---|---|
| Level 10 | Enhanced CyberAcme Sponsored Kit |
| Level 25 | Enhanced CyberAcme Sponsored Kit |
| Level 50 | Deluxe CyberAcme Sponsored Kit |
| Level 75 | Superior CyberAcme Sponsored Kit |
Ranked progress also resets, but you keep rewards based on your highest rank reached in Season 1, claimable through the Codex. You only receive the emblem from your single highest tier, not every tier below it. Ranked titles can be used for one extra season unless re-earned, while other Ranked rewards are permanent.
The short version is simple. Marathon is free to try for one week, from June 2 to June 9, and it launches Season 2: Nightfall at the same time with a full reset that puts veterans and newcomers on roughly even ground. If you want to test it without paying, that seven-day window is the moment, and anything you earn stays with your account if you choose to buy in afterward.
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