Sony offers week of free play for Marathon on PS5

Sony will offer Bungie’s PS5 multiplayer shooter Marathon as a free-to-play title for all players from June 2 through June 9. The company announced no PlayStation Plus subscription is required and that progress made during the free period will carry into Season 2, which also begins on June 2. Sony calls the event an “Open Play Week.”

Marathon launched in March 2026 as a first-party title developed by Bungie. The game received generally positive reviews from critics but has not met Sony’s commercial expectations.

Set on Tau Ceti IV, Marathon places players in a derelict colony populated by rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces and hazardous environments. Sony describes the setting as “a derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and hazardous environments.” Players can scavenge areas alone or in crews, moving between exploration and fast-paced player-versus-player combat. The game emphasizes responsive gunplay, a low time-to-kill and rewards for preparation. The title includes both solo and team-based modes.

The free week applies only to the PlayStation 5 version. During Open Play Week the full game will be accessible to all PS5 users without a subscription, and any items, ranks or unlocked content earned will remain in player accounts after the event and into Season 2.

The Open Play Week runs June 2 to June 9 and is limited to the PS5 version of Marathon.