Hype for Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise is as high as ever thanks to the upcoming viking-themed Assassin's Creed Valhalla coming to next-generation consoles as a launch title. Before that happens, the developer has announced a free PC trial weekend through its Uplay digital distribution service for 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins that will be held from June 19 to June 21.
Origins is the first RPG-styled Assassin's Creed game that takes place in ancient Egypt, chronicling the life of Bayek of Siwa around the time when he initiates the founding of the Assassin Brotherhood. The game went on to receive three major DLC expansions before the release of Assassin's Creed Odyssey at the end of 2018. To take part in this upcoming free-to-play weekend, players can preload the game now through Uplay.
Any progress that is made in Assassin's Creed Origins can be carried over for players who decide to purchase the game after June 21, according to Ubisoft's news release about the event. For those who have not had the chance to play through this Egyptian adventure and need to fulfill their Assassin's Creed fix while waiting for Valhalla, this should be a perfect opportunity to get started.
In its 2019-20 fiscal year earnings report, Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed Origins is one of 11 games that has sold over 10 million units this console generation, also including Assassin's Creed Unity and Odyssey as well as titles like Far Cry 5, Watch_Dogs, and The Division. With that being said there's a good chance anyone who is interested in Origins has already played it, but Ubisoft offering a free trial weekend is great for those who haven't nonetheless.
Shifting the long-running franchise away from stealth-action gameplay into a more RPG-heavy focus is no doubt Origin's biggest legacy, and fans believe certain elements from the game should return even if Valhalla advances the formula. For instance, the Discovery Tour feature from Origins and Odyssey is something that should return to help showcase the detailed historical setting in Valhalla.
The free trial weekend system is one that has served other games such as Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare well in the past. In fact, this is not the first time Ubisoft has put its games out there to try, as there was previously a free trial weekend for Assassin's Creed Odyssey held in March.
Assassin's Creed Origins is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Ubisoft