Xbox One Users Can Play Watch Dogs 2 For Free On January 24th Only

by Brandon Hill — Wednesday, January 18, 2017, 10:48 AM EDT

Did you read all of the favorable reviews for Watch Dogs 2 and still fail to hit the “Purchase” button to add the game to your digital library? Apparently, you weren’t alone, as sales for Watch Dogs 2 haven't exactly lived up to expectations. Sales of the game even failed to surpass that of its predecessor (it underperformed by a large margin), which surely had to ruffle a few feathers inside Ubisoft’s offices.

"It is true that first-day and first-week sales for a number of big games, including Watch Dogs 2 and titles from our competitors, are comparatively lower than previous versions in previous years,” said Ubisoft in a statement in November 2016 shortly after the game’s launch. “There is a trend toward games, especially high-quality games, having stronger and longer 'tails' as favorable reviews and word of mouth spread."

Word of mouth concerning the “greatness” of Watch Dogs 2 must not be spreading at a fast enough pace as Ubisoft has announced that the Xbox One will have a “free play” period on January 24^th. Xbox One owners will be able to download a full copy of the game with unfettered access to all single-player, co-op and multiplayer game modes. The only downside is that you will just have three hours to get your fix before you have to make the decision to purchase the game or leave it by the wayside.

“You can dive into missions, get to know Marcus Holloway and DedSec, explore the Bay Area freely, infiltrate restricted areas with hacked equipment, wreak havoc with a friend in co-op, and get up to whatever open-world shenanigans your heart desires,” writes Ubisoft. “And if you want to buy the full game at any time, your trial progress will transfer to the full game, so you can keep your momentum going.”

The PlayStation 4 free trial took place yesterday (sorry we missed breaking that news to you), so we’re giving you Xbox One owners fair warning well ahead of schedule to mark January 24^th on your calendar.

Tags: Ubisoft, xbox one, Watch Dogs, (nasdaq:msft), watch dogs 2

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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