All Xbox Series X/S and PC owners can play the latest Gears of War for free – no Xbox Game Pass needed
Gears of War: Reloaded is completely free for a limited time
Quick Summary
Xbox is giving all players on Xbox Series X/S and PC the chance to play Gears of War: Reloaded for free.
You can play it as much as you like this weekend, until midnight on Sunday 31 May.
We often harp on about the latest and greatest games coming to Xbox Game Pass each month, but what if you don't subscribe? Do you get any free games too?
Well, the answer to that is "yes" – yes, you do. Xbox regularly makes some of its biggest games available to play for free. There are some caveats, but you can savour several titles each week without needing Xbox Game Pass membership. And that often includes owners of Xbox Series X or Series S consoles, or even a PC.
Xbox's Free Play Days promotion is a weekly affair, giving you a handful of games to play over the weekend for free, with many of them available to all Xbox gamers, not just those with Game Pass.
Some weeks can be rather hit or miss, but this weekend you can check out Gears of War: Reloaded – the remastered version of the first Gears game released almost 20 years ago.
It brings the graphics and gameplay up-to-date, and includes all the additional content released after the original launch.
You also get cross-platform play, so you can take on friends even if they own the game on PS5. And frame rates have been boosted to a maximum of 120Hz.
It's truly the best version of the original Gears adventure, and you can play it to your heart's content at no cost until midnight on Sunday 31 May.
Also available to play for free this weekend is High on Life 2. You get a 5-hour timed trial of the crazy, extremely funny shoot-em-up sequel and a discount on the full price if you fancy continuing your journey.
Xbox Game Pass members can play Formula Legends and Dying Light: Definitive Edition at no extra cost, too.
And don't forget, a whole load of extra games have recently been added to the Game Pass library, with Jurassic World Evolution 3 coming in just a matter of days.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now costs £16.99 / $22.99 per month after a recent price drop. That's a saving of £6 / $7 per month over the previous fee, although you will no longer get the latest Call of Duty games – including the freshly-announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – on day one.
