In a not so surprising turn of events, Microsoft just made PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds free to download and play. It's for a limited time only, though. Xbox One Players have until Nov. 11 to get the full 1.0 release of PUBG.
Again, it's not so surprising since Microsoft did promise PUBG fans "big news" at the company's forthcoming X018 show, and it's clear making the game free is part of its bigger plans. PUBG debuted in Xbox Game Preview last year for $30.
PUBG Coming To PlayStation 4?
Another thing that makes this not much of a surprise is the fact that rumors about a PUBG port for PlayStation 4 have been swirling around for quite some time now. Speculation suggests the game is coming to Sony's flagship console as soon as next month. If such reports are true, that essentially means Microsoft stroke a deal with PUBG for the game to remain exclusive on Xbox consoles for a year. That's not really uncommon practice in the gaming world. It does illustrate, however, just how bullish Microsoft is with its gaming machine. Also, this is what may have prompted Microsoft to roll out PUBG for free.
The promotion extends to all players. Yes, even those without an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The game is available to download for free immediately by going to Microsoft's website.
There's a huge caveat, though. Microsoft has confirmed that the game can only be downloaded and played for free from Nov. 8 to Nov. 11. That means players aren't getting permanent copies, and the game won't be playable after that deadline. PUBG, however, is free to keep. That said, players need Xbox Live Gold to play online. It appears Microsoft is simply allowing non-Xbox Live Gold users to access the game this coming weekend — perhaps to entice them to cop a subscription. It's a bummer, to be sure, but it'll probably help increase the company's paid subscribers.
Other Free Stuff
For some reason, the Konami soccer game PES 2019, which launched at a standard $60 retail price point this past August, is free as well. Microsoft didn't exactly explain why this is, although no one is probably complaining about more free stuff.
Thoughts about PUBG on Xbox One? Are you excited for the game to come to PS4 as rumors say? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
