Today, Microsoft announced that Xbox One or Xbox 360 owners without Xbox Live Gold can play multiplayer without the need for an active subscription from January 31 to February 3, 2019. If you don't have a subscription, this is a great way to play online games with your friends. Fortnite is by far the biggest game on any platform right now, so be sure to give it a go!

Purchasing Xbox Live Gold not only allows you to play with your friends through Microsoft's servers, but it also gives you four free games for your Xbox One every month. Starting on February 1, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon and Assassin's Creed Rogue will be free with the subscription. Then, on February 16, Super Bomberman R and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy can be downloaded at no cost. You need an active Xbox Live membership to play the Xbox One games, but the original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles are yours to keep after you redeem them once. It doesn't matter if you're still an Xbox Live Gold subscriber.

This weekend, Gears of War 4 is also getting a free trial until February 3. Gears of War 4 first landed in 2016, so it's a bit long in the tooth at this point. Still, this weekend should give anyone who hasn't acquainted themselves with the series a chance to check it out in all of its brutal glory. And if you have an Xbox One X, the game is enhanced and runs at 4K 60 FPS in multiplayer.

Are you going to participate in this free event? Let us know. Which online games do you play?

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