Marathon developer Bungie is gearing up to hold a big server slam event ahead of next month's launch.

Essentially a last-minute beta test, the Marathon Server Slam has a February 26 release date and a March 2 end date.

Available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, the Server Slam kicks off at 6pm GMT UK time, or 10am PT / 1pm ET for US players, and 7pm CET for European fans. It ends at the same time on March 2.

That's plenty of time to get stuck into the action if you're on the fence about picking up the extraction shooter.

In more good news, developer Bungie has confirmed that PlayStation Plus isn't required to play on PS5, while Xbox Game Pass isn't necessary for Xbox Series X|S users.

It's worth noting that both subscription services will be required when the game launches in full on March 5.

Unfortunately, however, the Marathon Server Slam isn't available to pre-load ahead of launch. This should reduce initial server strain when the beta goes live.

In terms of what fans can expect from the Server Slam, the beta is described as a "slice" of the full Marathon experience.

Fans will be able to explore two of the game's zones, including the Perimeter section and Dire Marsh.

Perimeter is described as "an edge-site expansion on the colony's outskirts", while Dire Marsh is "the colony's agricultural research hub".

Players will also be able to take on early contracts for five different factions, all the while progressing through early levels and upgrade trees.

Elsewhere, players will be able to sample five out of the six Runner shells and sample Rook, which is the game's scavenger experience.

Cross-platform play is also supported, as well as proximity chat, which should lead to some interesting standoffs with fellow players.

Bungie is promising additional zones, factions, contracts, gear, progression and other secrets when the game launches in full and Season 1 makes its debut.

Also, while progress won't carry over to the full game, Server Slam participants will be able to unlock a selection of rewards that can be used in the final release.

The Standard Arrival Cache will be unlocked after completing the first mission. It contains implants, shell cores, chip mods and weapons.

Additional goodies will be unlocked by reaching Runner level 10 and level 30, while more bonus items will be rewarded by watching Twitch streams.