Bungie saves Marathon Deluxe Edition mix-up by giving affected players the base game for free

Marathon is currently running a free trial week - one that's been extended out until June 11 following some server downtime - but the offer created a problem for those who were looking to pick up the full version. Some users who were playing the free version found they could buy an upgrade to the Marathon Deluxe Edition at a reduced price, but weren't correctly informed that this wouldn't give them access to the base game. This meant they'd lose the ability to play once the trial period came to an end. Now, Bungie has responded by promising those who fell foul of this incident the complete package they thought they were getting.

This issue seems to have been contained to Sony's console, affecting those who added Marathon to their PlayStation library during the open play. They were able to buy the Deluxe Edition for just $13.99 / £10.49, which is the price to upgrade from the Standard to Deluxe version of the FPS game. This purchase did not include the actual base game, but this wasn't clearly stated in the store messaging until Bungie realised the error and corrected it.

The good news is that if you bought that package before the messaging was changed, you'll be able to keep it, and Bungie will be "granting you the base edition at no additional cost" along with the Deluxe Edition content that you paid for. It's important to clarify that this does not apply to anyone who buys it after the correction; you'll still get the Deluxe goodies during the trial period, but will be required to buy the base edition once the open play week ends.

Marathon Season 2 got off to a bad start. A trio of errors following the update kept both paying and free trial players from actually getting in, forcing Bungie to pull the servers offline while it deployed fixes. The studio has since extended the free period through Thursday June 11, and now says it will be granting 50 Silk to anyone that logs in during that time.

"We know the downtime interrupted not just your runs but your plans, and we want to recognize that inconvenience," Bungie writes. "Silk will be delivered via the in-game mailbox and can be claimed any time before the open play week ends." The Marathon open play week ends at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST on Thursday June 11, so make sure to grab it while you can.

The developer is also rolling out some economic balance changes. The first is fixing an issue where more Cert containers were spanning in Night Marsh than intended, so expect the region to feel slightly less generous than before. The second is a 25% rise in progression costs for The Cradle, accounting for "the increased quality and quantity of loot." The team says it's continuing to monitor and adjust drops: "We want loot to feel rewarding, but also not flood the economy with too many powerful items early in the season."

Marathon is 30% off on Steam through Tuesday June 16. Expect to pay $27.99 / £24.49 for the base edition, or $41.99 / £34.99 for the Deluxe Edition. If you've been thinking about trying it, or are already sold on what the free week has to offer, now's the time to take advantage of the savings.