PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) will be free to play for Xbox Live Gold members next weekend

If you've been waiting to give PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) a try before you buy, you'll get your chance next weekend on Xbox One. Microsoft has announced that PUBG will be free to play (opens in new tab) for Xbox Live Gold members from April 19 through April 22 as part of its next Free Play Days promotion.

Starting at 12:01 a.m. PT on April 19, Xbox Live Gold members will be able to download PUBG, which is still in Game Preview on Xbox, from the Gold Member feature area on the Xbox dashboard. As with previous free play days, the full battle royale experience will be opened up during the free play weekend. That includes all multiplayer modes, and any Battle Points earned during the free period will remain available if you decide to pick PUBG up after the free weekend is over.

PUBG has already garnered a major following across both PC and Xbox, but this is a solid way to give the battle royale experience a shot if you haven't already. For now, PUBG is up for grabs on Xbox One for $29.99. And if you're looking for something to try for free this weekend, remember that Ghost Recon Wildlands is free to play for Gold members from April 12 through April 15. (opens in new tab)

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl

24 Comments
  • I think Xbox live and Xbox game pass should be the same thing
  • I assume because you object to paying for two services.
  • They should but then Microsoft couldn't charge you twice and rip you off.
  • I wasn't aware paying for 2 different services was a rip off. Should One Drive be included with Xbox LIVE too? Maybe office 365 should include everything Microsoft offers.
  • To be fair, for me this should be free to play.
  • How is that fair? People work to make the game, they should be paid for it. Would you work for free?
  • Hmm Maybe you're new to gaming. So let me inform you about something called free2play.
    Games that uses freemium economy. It is a business model that let's players play games for free. Money is made either through advertisments or by having optional microtransactions.
    The idea is to get as many people has possible in so they can make as more and more money of these microtransactions. In this case, the game ALREADY has loot boxes and microtransactions.
    How is it fair you ask me?
    Well, a game uses free2play business model should be ... free. It's the definition of free2play. You really need to look at it. There are many games that uses this business model and is are very successful with it.
    You know? PUBG's main competition is a free2play game. It is extremely popular and successful... :) If you need more help understanding the business model please let me know I'll post educational links about the subject. :)
  • Wow, condescending much?
  • So helping people by providing information = condescending? ok lol
  • No you were condescending a bit. I am certain they knew want FTP is and disagreed with your position
  • Well, it doesn't look like he knows. If he knew what free2play meant he wouldn't have made a statement like "People work to make the game, they should be paid for it." They are getting money from these microtransactions. That's how people working on the game will get paid. That's how devs of Fornite get paid. If he didn't believe the free2play model would work here, he should have simply said that.
  • PUBG on Xbox doesn't yet have microtransactions. It has a few exclusive items that have been offered for sale from the Microsoft Store but you can't buy BP yet. And no this shouldn't be free to play. If you want that go play Fortnite. The millions who have paid for PUBG are fine with it.
  • So what do you call these exclusives pack? There is this PUBG5 Pack. Isn't that microtransaction? By definition it is. True, like you said it's not the same as PC yet but the key here is "yet". Let's be honest and not pretend that it won't happen. This game will most probably have microtransactions like the PC version. You don't think this should be free2play? Fine. Your opinion. I believe it should. Different opinions. Right now Fortnite is more popular. The question is not about what I should play or not play. It's about having microtransactions in a game that charges an initial fee. The competition can manage to make it a free2play, for me they need to compete and do the same. And here is a question. Why are you so much against having a free2play system like Fortnite? I'm saying this for the community. This will get a lot more players into the game.
  • Repeat and repeat in many articles. Anyway, many have spoken. tbh, what's freemium economic game? ANY TYPPA GAME that sells you digital items IN GAME? Should they all be free2start? Give me a list of differences in design between all those mobile, console and arcade game that features IAP (aka micro-transaction, and IAP != loot crates) in'em and how IAP affects progression in different game / game mode. Show me you know something, not just making (emotional) statements. Lastly, you don't get to decide how people want to sell their game, devs and market will decide. Like Richard said, billions have paid and are fine with it.
  • Billions? LOL
    I never said I decide what people got to do with their game. I'm saying FOR ME a game that uses free2play economics should be ... free. If the competition can do it, I don't see why can't they...
  • My mistake. Millions. > I'm saying FOR ME
    Than you have the wrong idea and you sure love to spread your fallacy and believes.
    Are you the type that thumb up everything GranRant's vid? "freemium economy. It is a business model that let's players play games for free"
    Is PUBG, a freemium economy game? > If the competition can do it, I don't see why can't they.
    Why SHOULD PUBG follow FN's f2p business? Do they have the same business model?
    Give me a few characteristics from a typical mobile f2p design, then compare it with PUBG and FN.
    Why can't I charge an initial fee and sell items in game later? Why SHOULD I give away games for free if I want to sell items later? Because (most people are ok with it but) you say so?
    Because all games (no matter what genre or game mode) that feature IAP, are Star War BF 2. Because all games feature IAP, are DEFINITELY using the same design principle as those typical f2p mobile games?
  • "> I'm saying FOR ME
    Than you have the wrong idea and you sure love to spread your fallacy and believes."
    LOL Looks like you don't know the meaning of an opinion. An opinion cannot be a lie. LOL "Are you the type that thumb up everything GranRant's vid?"
    I don't know what you're talking about. What's that? "Is PUBG, a freemium economy game?"
    It has and uses microtransactions. It uses free2play economy. But it's not a free2play game because it's not free.
  • > LOL Looks like you don't know the meaning of
    > an opinion. An opinion cannot be a lie. LOL
    Not a lie but false infos. "Are you the type that thumb up everything GranRant's vid?"
    > I don't know what you're talking about. What's that?
    Means you are a typical consumer. Follows medias, only believe what you wanna believe.
    Can you tell me why do you believe PSV's not dead and Sony (and devs) didn't already drop it? Why do you defend it, tried to damage control? Is it because you didn't know? Don't want to know? Refuse to believe? You know but you are just doing what fans do, to defend the brand?
    Can you tell me why do you believe win32 can still thrive years later?
    Can you tell me why MS should port UWP / new API to a dying OS?
    Can you tell me why do you believe devs and HW maker should still support a dying OS years later?
    Can you tell me why do you believe SW and API won't deprecate?
    Can you tell me why do you believe indie, freshman, startup should code win32 if they don't already own legacy codes / assets / libs?
  • So for starters, on Xbox there aren't any Microtransactions, so therefore your entire argument is null and void. My question again, should the devs not get paid for their game on Xbox? Again, would you work for free? If you need help understanding getting paid, let me know.
  • hmm aren't these packs microtransactions? Will the game never have microtransactions like the PC version?
    Looks like you still don't understand free2play model. The money will come through microtransactions. How do you think other games are doing?
    Get in as many players into the game, make it popular by getting a large amount of people play the game, and then make the money back and profit by selling stuff in-game.
    Some of the biggest games are free2play games.
    So you're not really working for free. Do you know the term the meaning of the word investment and return on investment? You want to know if I would work for free? Well, I've already done volunteer work, so yes I would. But you got it wrong. It's not about working for free. It's about investing money. If I had a company and I'm making a free2play game, I would be ready to take the risk of losing money initially and get back the money based on it's success. The dev admitted that their decision to add microtransaction upset gamers and they were hit hard by bad reviews on steam because of it. They are losing market shares compared to the competition. I personally think this should be free2play, that's my opinion. So here is a question for you. Do you think devs making free2play games like Fornite work for free or don't get paid?
  • > You want to know if I would work for free? Well, I've
    > already done volunteer work, so yes I would
    Something's wrong here...
    volunteer work (short period and you prob have a fulltime) vs spending years making a game as a fulltime (plus other expanses if you are the business owner)...
  • >aren't these packs microtransactions? Which ones? The ones you can only buy with in game "currency"? Currency that cannot be purchased. >Will the game never have microtransactions like the PC version? Microsoft has said there are no plans for it:
    https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/11/16761928/playerunknowns-battlegrounds... Right there, you're entire argument falls flat. No way for PUBG to make money on Xbox without paying for the game itself (not withstanding any promotions that can exist). So should the game be free to play, with no revenue stream, how do you expect anyone to be paid for their efforts? >So you're not really working for free. Do you know the term the meaning of the word investment and return on investment? I know it very well, and on Xbox, devs/publisher invest time, and if no money is spent on the Xbox game, there is NO return. It is true that Microsoft can get a return from hardware sales, but that is minimal at best. >You want to know if I would work for free? Well, I've already done volunteer work, so yes I would. Volunteer work is not the same as going to your job and not getting paid. It is also not what companies are in business for. Bluehole and Microsoft aren't volunteers. >Do you think devs making free2play games like Fornite work for free or don't get paid? In no way did I say devs making f2p games are not getting paid. PUBG devs, however, would not have a revenue stream for their Xbox efforts if the game was free to play.
  • "Which ones? The ones you can only buy with in game "currency"? "
    Any small financial transaction conducted online. In this case it's in-game purchase. By definition it is microtransactions period. "Microsoft has said there are no plans for it:
    https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/11/16761928/playerunknowns-battlegrounds...
    They are talking of the preview version.
    "These cosmetic packs are exclusively available to Xbox players for a limited time and there are no plans to feature any in-game purchases in the Xbox Game Preview version of PUBG; these will be the only items that can be purchased during the preview period."
    https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2017/12/12/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-now-... And even that is a lie because there is this PUBG5 Pack that is added. "Right there, you're entire argument falls flat. [...] So should the game be free to play, with no revenue stream, how do you expect anyone to be paid for their efforts?"
    Actually no. It's because you made false assumptions...
    You actually think they make nothing out of these packs? You think they won't make anything on future packs and other microtrandactions. That's where you are wrong... "I know it very well, and on Xbox, devs/publisher invest time, and if no money is spent on the Xbox game, there is NO return. It is true that Microsoft can get a return from hardware sales, but that is minimal at best."
    Like I said money was/is/will be spent on in-game purchase. Right now it looks like getting money from initial purchase and double-dipping with microtransactions. "Volunteer work is not the same as going to your job and not getting paid. It is also not what companies are in business for. Bluehole and Microsoft aren't volunteers."
    You asked me a question I answered it. The point it asking me to work for free is not on topic. I'm talking about a free2play model and free2play isn't volunteers...
  • Show me where I can make "any small financial transaction" in pubg for Xbox.