Play Call of Duty: Ghosts for free on Xbox 360 and Xbox One this weekend

By Ryan Fleming Published March 3, 2014

If you are among the handful of Xbox 360 or Xbox One users that has been dying to try out a Call of Duty game, but for whatever reason have managed to avoid the last seven years worth of much-hyped, billion dollar releases, then this is your lucky day! Activision and Microsoft have teamed up to release a multiplayer demo of Call of Duty: Ghosts for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, which will be free to play this coming weekend.

The demo will feature three multiplayer maps taken from the original, non-DLC set (Prison Break, Strikezone, and Warhawk), three multiplayer modes (Domination, Search & Rescue, and Team Deatmatch), and it will also include the first map of the co-op mode Extinction. The demo launches on March 7 at 10am PST, and concludes on March 10, although a specific time for when it ends was not listed. We reached out to reps for the game for clarification, and will update the post as needed.

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It’s a little odd for a company to offer a demo to a game that has been on store shelves for nearly four months now, especially one that has sold millions of copies globally across multiple platforms (Activision has not released an exact number, but it did ship $1 billion worth of product on Ghosts‘ launch day), but why not? It could have something to do with the fact that a major, Xbox-exclusive, multiplayer-only release is set to launch just one day after the first demo period ends. Especially since said exclusive is the product of a studio founded by the creators of the Call of Duty series.

Call of Duty: Ghosts hasn’t been quite the success that its predecessor Call of Duty: Black Ops II was in terms of sales, but it is still one of the most successful games released in 2013. It won’t come close to matching Grand theft Auto V’s record-setting performance, but it’s still the best-selling title on both next-gen systems, and three more DLC packs are scheduled in the coming months which should further bolster sales (and profits).

So if you want to try out this newfangled “Call of Duty” franchise, you can do so this weekend by downloading the demo after logging in to your Xbox Live account.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

Black Ops 6 might be the biggest Call of Duty release ever

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is on track to be the most successful Call of Duty release in the franchise's history thanks to a record-breaking launch, according to Activision and Microsoft.

The companies revealed that Black Ops 6 had the biggest three-day opening for the series by many metrics. It had the most players, most hours played, and the most total matches, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter). The game also got a shout-out during Microsoft's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday.

Gaming

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies: tips and tricks for beginners

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After the backlash surrounding the Zombies mode in Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has returned to the round-based roots we all know and love. Well, the structure might be familiar, but this mode has more than its fair share of new tricks that will see you getting swarmed in seconds if you can't learn to adapt. If you're familiar with how Call of Duty handles its Zombies mode, you will know that there's a lot more you need to know besides just shooting zombies if you want to make it to the later rounds. If you want to survive as long as possible, we have the key tips and tricks to withstand the zombie horde in Black Ops 6.
The basics still apply

There are a few tips from past Zombies games that will serve you well here in Black Ops 6 that are worth a quick reminder. Starting off with the need to conserve ammo in the early game. Zombies are weakest in the first handful of rounds, but ammo is incredibly scarce. You can't count on getting more when you need it, so save as much as possible and try to melee as many zombies as possible. Only shoot if you get swarmed, need to save a teammate, or when a boss or elite shows up.

Gaming

The best Wildcards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The concept of a Wildcard might sound like a risky endeavor in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but this part of your loadout isn't random at all. We haven't seen this system since Cold War, and even those who remember it from that game will need to learn all the new cards there are in Black Ops 6. You can only equip a single Wildcard on your loadout, but they are powerful enough to completely redefine your playstyle. So far, there are only six to unlock while grinding through the levels with your friends, but picking just one is still a tough choice, especially if you want to use a permanent unlock on one after hitting Prestige. We've ranked all the Wildcards in Black Ops 6 so you can always have the winning hand.
All Black Ops 6 Wildcards, ranked

There is a level of personal preference in which Wildcard you will find better than others, but in most cases, the ones we've ranked as the best will help every player gain an edge in online matches. Here's our ranking of each Wildcard from best to worst, along with what level you unlock them at.
Perk Greed - Level 54
The last Wildcard you unlock is easily the most powerful. Perk Greed lets you unlock a fourth Perk to your loadout instead of being limited to three, which can borderline break the game if you choose the right set of Perks. It is also the most versatile of the Wildcards since it gives you the most options to play with instead of a specific bonus you may not find useful. It can also more easily unlock the special bonus buff you get for equipping three Perks from the same category.
Gunfighter - Level 33
Right in the middle of the unlock list, Gunfighter is one Wildcard you could easily make a case for over Perk Greed in some situations. This one increases your attachment points for your primary weapon by three. If you're rocking a top-tier weapon already, this Wildcard can let you tweak its stats even higher. We rank it second because it only applies to one weapon and thus is a bit more limiting.
Overkill - Level 24
For such an early Wildcard, Overkill is quite a powerful choice. This card lets you equip any weapon (except melee weapons) in your Primary and Secondary slots instead of the ones typically reserved for each. That means you can build a loadout with two Primary weapons and be far more versatile on the battlefield. Instead of having to trade off range, damage, rate of fire, mobility, or any other aspect of your game, you can cover almost all your bases by picking two Primary weapons that cover each other's weaknesses.
Prepper - Level 45
Field upgrades are powerful, don't get us wrong, but having two instead of one isn't always that much of a game-changer. It's a bit less useful than Gunfighter only because field upgrades are more situational and require more attention to use to their full potential. If that's you, then this is a great choice.
Danger Close - Level 38
Who doesn't want another grenade, Molotov, or combat axe? Is getting a second Lethal worth the Wildcard slot, though? Not in our opinion. Most of the time, Lethals are used in desperation or as a way to deny enemy movement for a time, and even then, they are risky because of how vulnerable you are while using them.
Tactical Expert - Level 15
The first Wildcard you get is better than nothing, but only just. It's exactly like Danger Close, only you can hold two Tacticals instead of Lethals. This is, by nature, a little worse since Tacticals don't have the ability to kill an enemy (unless you get super lucky and you directly hit an enemy with one who is on low HP). You can get some use out of them, but you're better off upgrading as soon as you have another option.