As many of you know, Marathon is the talk of the town lately, especially with its huge seasons launching, several updates that add QoL features, and even some experimental modes from time to time. And while all of this is quite tempting when it comes to playing the extraction shooter, some people still don’t pull the trigger and make the dive into Tau Ceti. Also, since Bungie used to give the base Destiny 2 experience for free, many wonder if Marathon is also free to play, especially in 2026. Well, here we’ll tell you whether you can jump into this extraction shooter for free or not.
Can You Play Marathon for Free?
In short, no, Marathon isn’t free to play. As some of you may know, it is a one-time purchase game, meaning that once you have it, you can play it for as long as you want, as well as enjoy the new seasons, modes, and updates. It has some optional purchases, just like Destiny 2, but they are cosmetics only, meaning that there isn’t a pay-to-win factor whatsoever.
And while you can’t just jump into the extraction shooter without paying, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it for free at times. For example, Bungie tends to do some free week campaigns with the hopes of bringing more Runners into the fray. One of those is after the launch of season 2, from June 2 to June 9, players all over the world can jump into the game and play for as long as they want, make progress through its systems, try all Runner Shells, and the new modes.
This is an excellent limited-time campaign that will allow players to give Marathon a try for free and play without any time restrictions, at least for a while. After that, if they wish, they can purchase the game and continue where they left off, with all their progress and loot.
Also, at the time of writing, Bungie hasn’t announced whether they plan to make Marathon free to play. Yet many believe the entry price isn’t too high, and it’s getting several post-launch updates, making it a great deal to buy now.
In any case, remember that Season 2 of Marathon, alongside the new Night Marsh map and the Sponsored Survival mode, launches on June 2 and will be available for all owners and those jumping into the game during the open play week.
