Gears 5 Goes Free-To-Play On Xbox One And PC, But Not For Long

If you've yet to check out Gears 5, then this weekend will be the perfect time to do so. Microsoft has made the game free-to-play on both Xbox One and PC – a promotion that runs from now through the end of the weekend. That'll give those who were on the fence enough time to check out both the campaign and the multiplayer.

Microsoft, obviously, is hoping that Gears 5 gets its hooks in at least some of those who check it out during this free-to-play weekend, resulting in some sales from those who want to keep playing. Specifically, the free promotion (which has already begun) runs through April 12th, giving you until Sunday to play Gears 5 as much as possible.

Those of you playing on PC won't even need to open the Microsoft Store to take advantage of this, as the Steam version is free through this promo. Strangely, while the PC and Xbox One version are on sale for half off through the Microsoft Store, there is no such discount on Steam, where the game is still priced at $59.99. Perhaps that will change once Steam kicks off its weekend deals?

In any case, this free-to-play promotion highlights Operation 3: Gridiron, which is a new multiplayer mode that puts a spin on traditional capture the flag. It's also worth remembering that Gears Tactics launches at the end of this month, so Microsoft's free-to-play promotion could be in effort to get Gears as a franchise back to the forefront.

Whatever the reason, you can dive into Gears 5 for free today. Microsoft hasn't announced a precise end time yet, but it seems safe to assume that it will remain free until the end of the day on Sunday, April 12th.