Marathon’s upcoming "Server Slam" event is arriving on February 26th, with the dev team promising a zero tolerance policy on cheaters. Find out more about Marathon’s security features here.
Marathon Devs Detail Anti-Cheating And Network Stability
Marathon’s Devs Are Making Sure Multiplayer Runs Well
Marathon will be launching its open weekend event "Server Slam" from February 26th to March 2nd with a strong focus on ensuring network stability while implementing several anti-cheating mechanisms. These will include dedicated servers, heightened anti-cheat software, and permanent bans for cheaters.
In a detailed blog post on the game’s official website, the game’s development team acknowledged the importance of preserving Marathon’s gameplay integrity by keeping a close eye on any server-side irregularities, whether it may be cheaters or general instability.
"No network or security model can guarantee perfection, but we are committed to protecting the Marathon competitive experience and ensuring everyone has their fair chance at exfiltrating with a backpack full of sweet loot," the team wrote.
Marathon will run its multiplayer modes on dedicated servers, which will constantly collect behavioral data from players to detect anomalies and will be paired with more network systems that prioritize input responsiveness and accuracy. Furthermore, the game will allow players to quickly reconnect to servers after network or client-side errors, ensuring that progress during runs isn’t reset, and players aren’t penalized for internet connectivity issues.
Marathon’s Zero-Tolerance Policy on Cheaters
Marathon’s devs have also promised that cheaters wouldn’t be tolerated. "We are taking a strong stance against cheating, and anyone found to be cheating or developing cheats will be permanently banned from playing Marathon forever, no second chances," Bungie writes on the website.
The game’s zero-tolerance policy on cheating extends to all forms of exploiting the game, whether through gameplay or item collection. For the former, the aforementioned dedicated servers will aim to protect players from invalid client actions such as teleportation and unlimited ammo, with features such as the "Fog of War" also being included to limit item visibility on maps and prevent wallhacking exploits.
As for item exploits, Marathon’s devs have promised that "economic security" would be a priority for the items that players acquire throughout the game. While they specifically cite item duplication as an economic cheat that they’re looking out for, the developers haven’t noted any specific countermeasures for this.
In either case, Bungie promised that any player caught exploiting the game and cheating would be permanently banned, with an appeals system in place in case of any wrongful bans. This news has been welcomed by prospective Marathon players across social media due to the lack of severe punishment for cheaters in other competitive shooters, with only a few users noting security concerns surrounding the anti-cheat system.
Marathon is launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam on March 5, 2026. For more on the upcoming extraction shooter, read our article below!
[button_link:https://game8.co/articles/games/marathon]
Sources:
Marathon: Networking and Security
