The provided source material details a promotional free weekend for the video game Ghost Recon Wildlands, along with information about its associated multiplayer mode, Ghost War. This article outlines the specific offer details, platform availability, and eligibility requirements as presented in the official announcement. It is important to note that the source material is limited to this specific gaming promotion and does not cover broader categories of free samples, product trials, or consumer freebies as typically associated with marketing programmes for household goods, beauty, or baby care products.
Free Weekend Offer Details
According to the official announcement, a free weekend for Ghost Recon Wildlands was scheduled. The offer allowed users to download and play the full game at no cost. The specific timeframe for this promotion was from October 12 at 12:00am PDT through October 16 at 12:00am PDT*. However, the source notes that for Uplay (PC) and Steam, the hours were slightly different: from October 12 at 10:00am PDT to October 15 at 1:00pm PDT. The source material does not provide a direct conversion to British Summer Time (BST) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for UK consumers.
The free weekend was available on multiple platforms. These included PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. For PlayStation 4 players, a pre-load option was available starting October 10. For PC players, pre-loading was available on Uplay starting October 11. The source explicitly states that an Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus membership was required to participate in the free weekend on those consoles.
Game Content and Features Accessible During the Free Weekend
During the free promotional period, participants were granted access to the complete Ghost Recon Wildlands game. This included the base game's content, which is described as a "gorgeous open world full of diverse ecosystems and thrilling missions." Players could engage in single-player gameplay or team up with up to three other players in a co-operative squad for a total of four players.
The source material also highlights that as of the week of the announcement, the new "Ghost War" 4v4 team deathmatch mode was included. This mode was released for free to all Ghost Recon Wildlands players and was available during the free weekend. Ghost War is presented as a distinct multiplayer experience where players select from 12 distinct classes, each equipped with specific weapons, perks, and abilities. The gameplay emphasises squad tactics and stealthy scouting techniques in competitive matches against another team of four players. The development team planned to expand this mode in the future with new maps, classes, and modes.
Progress Carry-Over and Post-Weekend Purchase Incentive
A key feature of this promotional offer was the continuity of player progress. The source states that any progress made by a participant during the free weekend would be carried over if they later purchased the full game. This means achievements, unlocks, or other progression metrics would not be lost after the promotional period ended.
For those who decided to purchase the game after the free weekend, a discount was offered. The full game was available for 50% off from October 12 to October 16. The source clarifies that this sale continued for Uplay PC, PS4, and Xbox Live Gold members until October 23.
Platform-Specific Requirements and Pre-Load Information
The offer was structured with specific requirements for each platform, which are crucial for UK consumers to note.
- PC: The game could be accessed via Uplay. A pre-load was available on October 11. The free weekend hours for PC were distinct from console hours, as detailed above.
- Xbox One: An Xbox Live Gold membership was a mandatory requirement to participate in the free weekend.
- PlayStation 4: A PlayStation Plus membership was a mandatory requirement. A pre-load was available on October 10.
The source material does not provide information on regional restrictions beyond the specified time zones (PDT). UK-based users would need to convert the PDT times to their local time to understand the exact start and end times for the promotion in their region.
Limitations of the Source Material
The provided source material is exclusively focused on a time-limited video game promotion. It does not contain information about ongoing free sample programmes, mail-in offers, or trials for physical consumer products. The categories typically covered in marketing specialist content—such as beauty, baby care, pet food, health, food & beverage, and household goods—are not addressed in these documents. Therefore, this article cannot provide information on those topics. The reliability of the information is based on the official Ubisoft news article, which is an authoritative source for this specific gaming promotion.
Conclusion
The source material provides a clear, factual overview of a past promotional free weekend for Ghost Recon Wildlands. The offer included full game access across PC, Xbox One, and PS4, with specific membership requirements for the console platforms. A key benefit was the inclusion of the new Ghost War multiplayer mode and the carry-over of player progress into a potential future purchase. A discount on the full game was available during and immediately after the promotion. For UK consumers, the main considerations would be the platform membership requirements (Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus) and the need to convert the specified PDT times to British time to participate within the correct window. The source does not extend to other categories of consumer freebies or samples.