PlayStation to Hold Free Online Multiplayer Weekend, Starting Saturday

PlayStation is holding a free online multiplayer weekend. In a tweet, the Sony-owned company announced that players will be able to access the multiplayer modes in PS4 and PS5 games, without having to pay for a PS Plus subscription. The access runs for two whole days, from December 10 to December 11, and allows you to test drive the multiplayer features with a friend or go head-to-head with others online. All you require is a stable internet connection and a PSN (PlayStation Network) account to sign into the services.

A PlayStation Plus membership starts at Rs. 499 monthly for the lowest Essential tier, which offers three free games every month, in addition to online multiplayer access. Unlike PC gaming, consoles demand additional payment in order to be able to play games with other individuals online. This feature is included as part of all three PS Plus tiers — Essential, Extra, and Deluxe/ Premium — with added bonuses that help enhance the experience, with a monthly games catalogue, cloud storage, exclusive discounts, and more. Elden Ring just dropped its long-rumoured free, PvP-focused Colosseum update, which lets you duel against other Tarnished online, in new, gladiator-esque arenas. This PS Plus free weekend would be a great incentive to test out new builds, hairstyles, and battle alongside friends in team fights.

Earlier this month, PlayStation unveiled the latest additions to its December catalogue of games, available to members across all three PS Plus tiers. Up until January 2, subscribers can add the narrative-driven sci-fi RPG Mass Effect Legendary Edition, an anthropomorphic post-apocalyptic shooter Biomutant, and the new fighting game Divine Knockout to their library. As usual, the publisher will drop an additional set of titles, reserved solely for the higher tier plans — Essential and Deluxe/ Premium — later this month, which would also include a classics catalogue.

Sony's financial report from last month confirmed that the PS Plus service had been losing subscribers — nearly 2 million since its June relaunch, falling from 47.3 million to 45.4 million within the last quarter. The company also received a 10-year contract from Microsoft, earlier this which ensured that future Call of Duty titles would drop on the same day, across either platform. However, a Bloomberg report suggests that PlayStation had been “raising objections” and showing a lack of interest in the deal.

“There's been one game industry participant that's really been raising all the objections, and that's Sony, and they've been fairly public about the things that don't meet their expectations,” Xbox head Phil Spencer told Bloomberg (via VGC). “From where we sit, it's clear they're spending more time with the regulators than they are with us to try and get this deal done.”

PlayStation Plus' free online multiplayer weekend will be up across two days — December 10–11.

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