Rainbow Six Extraction Buddy Pass, trial version & how to play for free
Play with pals on the cheap with Rainbow Six Extraction
Ubisoft has promised that Rainbow Six Extraction will be getting a Buddy Pass system - in theory, this system will allow anybody that buys the game to share their access with two friends for 14 days.
There will also be a Rainbow Six Extraction trial version, which will allow players that haven't paid for the game to try it out for two hours (or 14 days if someone gives them a Buddy Pass).
However, here's an important note: Ubisoft has announced on Twitter that the Rainbow Six Extraction Buddy Pass system has not gone live yet and is being "held until shortly after launch" in order to "ensure a smooth rollout for all players".
Further to that, we just checked the PlayStation Store, the Xbox Store and the Epic Games Store, and we can't find the Rainbow Six Extraction trial version anywhere. It doesn't look like that has gone live either. All those stores list the full-price version and the Deluxe Edition, but there's no sign of a free trial version.
Until we learn more, you can keep on reading for everything we know about the Rainbow Six Extraction trial version and Buddy Pass system at the moment.
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When will the Rainbow Six Extraction Buddy Pass system and trial version go live?
Ubisoft has promised that the Rainbow Six Extraction Buddy Pass program will go live "shortly after launch". And since the full game launched at midnight on the morning of Thursday 20th January 2022, it feels like we should be learning more about this anytime from now.
We would expect the Rainbow Six Extraction trial version to drop at the same time as the Buddy Pass, and we'll be sure to let you know if/when Ubisoft confirms a date and time for this to happen. For now, they've left us guessing. Wouldn't it be nice to have this system in place before the weekend?
How to use the Rainbow Six Extraction Buddy Pass
Once the Rainbow Six Extraction Buddy Pass comes to life, it sounds like it should be fairly simple to use it.
In order to use the Rainbow Six Extraction Buddy Pass with someone, one of you needs to have the full game, and you must be Ubisoft Connect friends with the person you want to give a Buddy Pass. (You can create at Ubisoft Connect account at that link if you don't have one already.)
Once you both have a Ubisoft Connect account, make sure you both have Rainbow Six Extraction installed and open - the player that already has the full game will be able to download it the normal way, while the one that is using the Buddy Pass will have to download the trial version (more on that in a second).
Once you're both in the game, the player with the full version of Rainbow Six Extraction will need to follow these steps:
- From the game's main menu, head to the Squad selection screen (you'll see this sign-posted in the top-right corner of the screen - on Xbox, you press Y to bring it up)
- Once the Squad screen is open, you'll see an option to 'Add Friends' - click into the Search bar and you'll be prompted to type in your friend's Ubisoft Connect name
- When your friend is added, select them from the list on the Squad screen, and you should see an option to send them a Buddy Pass invite
When that's done, the other player should be able to accept the invitation from their own in-game menu, and you should be able to start playing together straight away!
How to get the Rainbow Six Extraction trial version
To the best of our understanding, once it goes live, you should be able to download the Rainbow Six Extraction trial version from the digital storefront on your gaming platform of choice.
For example, if you're playing on PlayStation, you should be able to search for Rainbow Six Extraction in Sony's in-built PlayStation store, and you should see the trial version listed as one of the options.
However, we just tried this on a number of platforms, and the Rainbow Six Extraction trial version does not seem to be available yet. When that changes, we'll be sure to update this article as a means of letting you know.
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How to play Rainbow Six Extraction for free
The Rainbow Six Extraction trial version should allow any player to try the game out for free for two hours. And if someone that owns the full game sends you a Buddy Pass, that access should be extended from two hours to 14 days.
However, the Buddy Pass system and the trial version have not yet gone live at the time of writing, so you might be looking for another way to play Rainbow Six Extraction without breaking the bank.
If you've got access to an Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or a decent gaming PC, the most affordable way to play Rainbow Six Extraction at the moment is by using Xbox Game Pass. The full game is available through the Xbox Game Pass subscription service at no extra cost for members. Check out some Xbox Game Pass deals below.
When Ubisoft clarifies its plans for the rollout of the Rainbow Six Extraction trial version and the Buddy Pass, we'll be sure to update this page and keep it up to date. Watch this space!
Read more on Rainbow Six Extraction:
- Rainbow Six Extraction crossplay - can you play with pals on other platforms?
- Rainbow Six Extraction single-player - how to play solo
- Rainbow Six Extraction release date - all the key details
- Rainbow Six Extraction review - sci-fi shooter oozes excitement
- Rainbow Six Extraction PC requirements
- Rainbow Six Extraction achievements & trophies list
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