Ubisoft's tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege is still receiving regular updates, and in many ways, it has come a long way since the game's launch. Now, Ubisoft and Microsoft are giving players the chance to try out the game (and all of its changes) for free this weekend.
Players will need to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription to take advantage of the deal. The game will be free to download for Gold members from Thursday, July 28 through Sunday, July 31.
The game will be discounted following the promotion, giving those who tried and enjoyed it the opportunity to purchase the game and continue on with their progress. It serves as an opportunity to not only attract new players, but also those who may have played the game at launch, only to later sell the game. In recent months, several new maps have been added to the game, as have new operators as whom players can play. More customization options have also been made available in the form of headgear and weapon charms that can be bought with in-game currency earned through playing matches. Players who haven't played in several months will find that plenty has changed, mostly for the better.
A free weekend for the game isn't surprising. Ubisoft is likely looking to increase the game's player numbers ahead of the next big update to the title, Operation Skull Rain. The update is set to release early next month and will add two new operators and a new, highly-destructible map. The free weekend also follows in the footsteps of the Rainbow Six Siege Starter Edition on PC, a $15 version of the game that functions more like a free-to-play title in that it takes longer for players to unlock new operators through playing than in the normal, currently $50 version of the game.
This is far from the first time Microsoft has teamed up with game publishers for free weekends. NBA 2K16 has done it in the past as well, and Sony regularly offers free PlayStation Plus weekends for players to experience online-focused games like Destiny and Star Wars Battlefront. It's not clear how well these types of promotions usually do, but it would be interesting to see some statistics. How many players proceed to buy a game after playing it on a free weekend? Considering companies like Microsoft, Sony and Valve continue to offer free weekends on their game platforms, it seems clear that the strategy of giving players a taste for free, and then charging for it later, works.
