In brief: Microsoft is giving away a three-month free trial of the excellent PC Game Pass to anyone who played Halo Infinite (or just its multiplayer element), Age of Empires 4, or Forza Horizon 5 from each game’s respective release date up until February 28, 2022.
The offer (sign up/check eligibility here) is only open to those who don’t already subscribe to PC Game Pass and never have done— there’s no claiming it if you ended a previous subscription. Still, this is an excellent opportunity for brand-new users to experience Microsoft’s service.
Microsoft states that the trial is valid for those who have played Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, or Age of Empires IV on PC before Feb 28, 2022, 11:59 pm UTC, while logged into their Microsoft Account. This excludes logins on console and via cloud gaming services. Additionally, you can take up the offer even if you only played the free Halo Infinite multiplayer before this date.
Did you play Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, or Age of Empires IV on PC before 2/28?
To say thanks, we’re giving out 3 months of PC Game Pass for free to new members only at https://t.co/5Ci8bZ0gKm pic.twitter.com/wYZcWNZtCM
— Xbox (@Xbox) April 16, 2022
If you’re unsure about your eligibility status, Microsoft has included a “check eligibility” button on its website that requires a log-in via the same Microsoft account used to play games on the PC.
As with most free trials, this one requires you to enter your payment details first. If you decide PC Game Pass isn’t to your liking, cancel it before the end of the three-month trial to stop any money from being taken out of your account. The offer excludes anyone in Russia or India—the former country for obvious reasons—and can be claimed and redeemed until April 30, 2022.
With more than 25 million subscribers and over 100 titles to choose from, it might seem that Microsoft doesn’t need to hand out PC Game Pass free trials, but this could be a response to Sony’s upcoming rival service. There are plenty of great games on Microsoft’s platform, with some of the more recent additions being Weird West and Life is Strange: True Colors.
In other Xbox/PC Game Pass news, Microsoft is reportedly planning to offer a family option sometime this year that will allow one subscriber to share their entire Game Pass library with up to four other family members in the same country.
