Black Ops 4: Blackout free trial lets you try out the Call of Duty battle royale from Jan 17-24

The Black Ops 4: Blackout free trial will give you a week to try out the new Call of Duty's breakout multiplayer mode starting on Thursday… or if you're already a diehard Blackout player, it will give you a whole bunch of newbies to show the ropes (or mercilessly slaughter). The free trial is limited solely to Blackout, Call of Duty's answer to battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG, but Blackout's a full experience of its own - there's plenty to keep you busy even without Zombies or standard multiplayer matches.

When can I play the Black Ops 4: Blackout free trial?

The Black Ops 4: Blackout free trial will begin on Thursday, January 17 and conclude on Thursday, January 24. Activision hasn't announced specific times for the open and close, but you should be able to play straight through the whole trial period (barring server maintenance).

What are the Black Ops 4: Blackout free trial platforms?

You can play the Black Ops 4: Blackout free trial on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, all of the same consoles as the full version of the game. You can download the trial from the download store for your respective platform (Steam on PC).

Will my progress in the Black Ops 4: Blackout trial carry over if I buy the game?

Activision hasn't announced whether the progress you make in the free trial will carry over to the full game. However, that's become an industry standard for post-release trials at this point, so the chances are good that your unlocks will persist.

Will the Black Ops 4: Blackout trial let me try Zombies or other parts of the game?

No, you can't try out the classic multiplayer, Zombies campaign, or Specialist missions in the free trial; it's limited solely to Blackout. The other parts of the game may get their own free trials later on, though.

While you're getting ready to play, brush up on our Black Ops 4: Blackout tips and Black Ops 4: Blackout challenges guide.

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.