For Honor's free weekend is underway on PS4, Xbox One, and PC
UPDATE: Ubisoft details Season Six.
UPDATE 4/5/2018: As For Honor's free weekend rumbles onward with swords held high, Ubisoft has unveiled first details of the game's sixth season, due to begin on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 17th.
For Honor's free Season Six is subtitled Hero's March, and introduces a new map, a new Visual Collection feature, and more of the major Hero rebalancing that began in season five.
That new map is known as The Beachhead, and Ubisoft describes it thusly: "Once a grand fortress of solitude and respite, it remains a picturesque view from afar and is a desirable stronghold for any army hoping to sway the odds of battle in their favour". The Beachhead will be playable in all multiplayer modes except Tribute.
The two For Honor Heroes getting a thorough going-over this season, meanwhile, are the Orochi and Peacekeeper, both receiving "major gameplay updates" designed to "improve and harmonise" the overall roster. Additional Heroes will, says Ubisoft, receive similar nips and tucks in future updates.
Rounding off the new season - as far as Ubisoft is willing to discuss, at least - is the new Visual Collection. This enables players to "track all visuals they have obtained and then apply them on any gear they have in a separate in-game menu." This means "you won't need to hang on to excess gear just to hang on to its look". There will also be a new seasonal event to kick things off on May 17th, with more details coming closer to release.
Away from Season Six, Ubisoft notes that it's currently working on new For Honor content, including all-new Heroes, and advises fan to "tune in during E3 2018 to learn more".
ORIGINAL STORY 3/5/18: Ubisoft's melee-focussed multiplayer battler For Honor is having a free-play weekend, running from today, Thursday May 3rd, until on Monday, May 7th, on Xbox One and PS4. PC players can also take part, but things wrap up a little sooner on Sunday, May 6th.
Proceedings are already underway on all platforms, and, if you fancy getting stuck in, you've a number of options. As Ubisoft explains in its announcement post, you can access For Honor's free version on PC through Steam or via this sign-up page, on PS4 by selecting the 'Try Free Demo' option on the PSN Store, and on Xbox One through Games with Gold.
Once you've downloaded the free version, you'll have access to the full game until the event draws to a close at 9pm, May 6th, in the UK on PC, and 8am, May 7th, on Xbox One and PS4. As such, you'll be able to partake in the Story Mode, as well as For Honor's various PvP and player-versus-AI modes - that is, 1v1 Duel, 2v2 Brawl, 4v4 Dominion, Elimination, and Skirmish. Additionally, all 18 Heroes will be playable across all 18 maps.
As part of the Free Weekend, Ubisoft is running what it's calling the Warrior Training Programme, which runs until 9pm on May 6th in the UK. Participants that complete five team-based matches with a Free Weekend player before the event ends will receive a two-week Champion Status. This essentially boosts the amount of XP and Steel you earn for its duration.
Ubisoft notes that progress made during For Honor's Free Weekend can be carried over to the full game, should you wish to buy it. And there's added incentive to do so in the form of a discount, with up to 75% off until Wednesday, May 9th.
Ubisoft has continued to expand and refine For Honor since its launch in February last year, recently adding a new training mode, major character balancing, and even dedicated servers as part of its currently ongoing fifth season.
It's changed significantly enough to warrant a Eurogamer re-review, in which Edwin Evans-Thirlwell noted, "If you've been holding off, circling the fray with your shield up, there's never been a better time to get up close and personal". And now's your chance.