It doesn't take much divination to understand why Activision is doing this. The holidays are over, and this is a way to keep sales humming as the new year starts. It's also an acknowledgment that free-to-play battle royale games like Fortnite have an advantage: you can easily try them without making a commitment. Although Epic Games won't be quaking in its boots, this might pay off for Activision if it leads to at least a few converts.

Bring your friends — the Blackout Free Trial is coming.



Play #BlackOps4's Blackout Battle Royale for free from January 17th to the 24th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. pic.twitter.com/jfOw2diCV9 — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) January 15, 2019