Bungie launches Marathon Season 2 on Tuesday, June 2 at 1 p.m. EDT. The update introduces a new season of content and kicks off an "open play" week, temporarily making the sci-fi extraction shooter free for all players to combat early retention struggles.
Exact Marathon Season 2 Start Times by Time Zone
Based on previous update schedules, Bungie is expected to deploy the Season 2 build at 10 a.m. PDT. Because the extraction shooter Marathon relies on synchronized global servers to maintain match integrity, this translates to a simultaneous worldwide launch.
| Region | Local Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Time (PT) | 10:00 a.m. PDT | Tuesday, June 2 |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 1:00 p.m. EDT | Tuesday, June 2 |
| Brazil (BRT) | 2:00 p.m. BRT | Tuesday, June 2 |
| United Kingdom (BST) | 6:00 p.m. BST | Tuesday, June 2 |
| Western Europe (CEST) | 7:00 p.m. CEST | Tuesday, June 2 |
| Japan (JST) | 2:00 a.m. JST | Wednesday, June 3 |
| Australia East (AEST) | 3:00 a.m. AEST | Wednesday, June 3 |
When the clock strikes your regional launch time, manually check your platform's queue to ensure you download the latest version. (Server delays are common during live-service transitions.)
What is the 'Open Play' Free Week?
Season 1 had a rocky three months. Despite praise for its core shooting mechanics, the game struggled to hold a steady player count. Players cited unforgiving extraction rules and poor onboarding as major friction points, while an ongoing feud between Marathon and Destiny 2 communities further divided the potential audience. To artificially inflate the concurrent user base and give lapsed players a reason to return, Bungie is hosting an "open play" week.
For exactly seven days, the entire game is free to download and play. Bungie uses this free-to-play access period as a funnel to acquire new users. The mechanism is simple: bypass the initial retail price barrier, let players experience the core extraction loop firsthand, and convert a percentage of them into paying seasonal subscribers before the open window closes.
What to Expect From Marathon Season 2
This update marks the game's very first seasonal transition. Because Marathon Season 1 was the baseline launch state, players should expect the standard extraction shooter seasonal reset mechanics to take effect. Core gear and quest progress from the first three months will likely be archived or vaulted, forcing the community to engage with the new economy.
Prepare to lose your old loadouts. Wiping the crafting slate clean forces veteran runners back into the early loot loop, narrowing the gear gap between returning players and the influx of newcomers joining via the free week. (It is a harsh but necessary reset for match balancing.)
What is Still Unknown
Bungie has not yet published the official, finalized patch notes for the update. We do not know the specific new weapons, map changes, or quality-of-life fixes scheduled for the launch build. The developer has not confirmed if the maintenance window will require extended downtime prior to the 1 p.m. EDT target. It is an estimated deployment, not a hard guarantee.
What to Watch Next
Monitor the official Marathon server maintenance and update status page right before launch. Watch the new player onboarding experience closely; if Bungie has not smoothed out the initial tutorial phases, the free week could backfire by immediately alienating fresh blood with the same steep difficulty curve that plagued Season 1. Destination 2 players crossing over will also dictate the early community tone.
Check back for exact patch notes the moment the servers officially go live.
