Stacked Black Ops 6 free trial kicks off just hours before Battlefield 6 launch

Call of Duty has announced that, ahead of Black Ops 7, it's dishing out a week-long free trial for Black Ops 6. It's not unusual for CoD games to occasionally let players in for free, and typically offer a slice of multiplayer action and sometimes a Zombies map or two. This trial, though, feels different. For the first time, Activision is opening up virtually the entire game for free - not only is there a full slate of multiplayer maps and modes, but you'll also be able to participate in its spooky season event, try out all six of its Zombies maps, and even play the campaign. It's also starting tomorrow, October 9, which sees it overlap with Battlefield 6's launch weekend.

Yes, it's almost time for this year's showdown between Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty Black Ops 7. With both FPS games having now flexed their muscles with open betas, EA will make the first move when it launches Battlefield 6 in just a couple of days' time, with the Black Ops 7 release date hot on its heels next month. However, it seems pretty clear to me that Activision is looking to steal a bit of Battlefield's thunder with this extremely generous free trial for Black Ops 6. Yes, it lines up with when BO6's final season drops, but the timing still seems incredibly convenient.

In this free trial, you'll get access to ten of Black Ops 6's multiplayer modes (excluding Ranked Play) and more than 40 maps. As someone who's been playing CoD for almost two decades, I'm not going to sit here and say BO6 offers some of the best multiplayer action in the series' history, but I believe it's the most solid and enjoyable experience we've seen since the start of the 'Warzone era' back in 2019. Black Ops 7 will feel somewhat similar, albeit with a few additions like its wall jump movement mechanic, so if you've been unable to play the beta for whatever reason, this can still get you a rough idea of what to expect.

The start of the free trial also coincides with The Haunting, CoD's annual Halloween event. For the duration of the trial, you'll be able to experience all the new maps and modes it brings, too.

As mentioned, this trial is unusual in that it's also unlocking the entire Zombies catalog and the campaign for you to play through. While a couple of maps were a bit flat and underwhelming, BO6's Zombies offering has been pretty good this year - Zombies fans haven't eaten this good for many years. There are six round-based maps in total, and if you're a CoD or co-op shooter novice, Directed Mode will be available, which gives you more guidance and hints as to what your objectives are and how the mechanics of Zombies work. If you've got some pals looking for something new to play this weekend without spending big bucks, you can't really go wrong with six Zombies maps for free.

The campaign, meanwhile, is a bit like the multiplayer - the best single-player story we've had since 2019, but it doesn't make my all-time top three by any stretch. It is, however, one of the most trippy and surprising CoD campaigns I've ever played, and is worth playing if you have time.

The Black Ops 6 free trial begins on Thursday, October 9 and concludes on Thursday, October 16.

If you're going to dive in, we've got plenty of guides to help get you through the campaign, survive in Zombies, and frag out in multiplayer. Here are all the Black Ops 6 Zombies easter eggs if you want to go hunting for secrets, and this guide will give you an understanding of the Black Ops 6 meta in multiplayer.

Are you tempted by this free trial? Or will Battlefield 6 (or something else entirely) be dominating your weekend? Swing by our Discord server to let us know.