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How to join the Marathon closed alpha test

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Two runners in marathon advancing.
Bungie

After revolutionizing the live-service genre on consoles with Destiny, Bungie has been focused on the FPS game for over a decade. That's what made the announcement of the upcoming video game Marathon, a return to one of the studio's oldest IPs, so exciting. This is an extraction shooter with unique Runner classes, dynamic worlds, top-notch shooting, and so much more to discover. The game is coming out in September, so we won't have to wait for too long, but even that is too long to wait for some. Thankfully, Bungie wants to give us the chance to play early with a closed alpha test. If you want to get a head start on this race, here's how to join the Marathon closed alpha test.

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Difficulty

Easy

Duration

15 minutes

What You Need

  • PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC

  • Bungie.net account

A dropship landing in marathon.
Bungie

How to join the closed alpha

Bungie is hosting a closed alpha that runs from April 23 until May 4, but only for those who are selected to join. Unlike open tests where everyone can join, you need to jump through a few hoops for a chance to play Marathon early.

First, the Marathon alpha test is only available for players in North America who are 18 or older on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC with a Bungie.net account

Step 1: Start by joining the official Marathon Discord server here and going into the "alpha_access" channel.

Step 2: Once in, type in "/alpha" and you will get some prompts from a bot to fill in some questions to get a registration link.

Step 3: Follow the link and sign in with your Bungie.Net account.

Step 4: Select your platform, accept the non-disclosure agreement, and consent to get emails sent regarding the alpha. There will be a few more questions before you will be told to watch your email for further notice.

Bungie expects to send out emails during the week of April 18 and then continue through the duration of the test, so you might get in even if you don't get picked right away.

Sadly, no progress in the alpha will carry into the full game, so everyone will still start on equal footing when the game officially comes out.

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jesse Lennox covers all things gaming but has a specific interest in all things PlayStation, JRPGs, and experimental indies…
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