Is For Honor Going to be Free on PS4 in 2026?

Yes, For Honor will be free to play on PS4 and PS5 from July 15-18, 2022. During this Ubisoft free weekend event, you can play the full game including all multiplayer modes and heroes across all platforms.

For Honor is a 2017 fighting game developed and published by Ubisoft for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It features unique close combat using the "Art of Battle" system and has built a dedicated player base over the years.

While not entirely free-to-play, Ubisoft regularly makes For Honor free for limited periods. Let‘s take a deeper look at what you can access for free and whether it‘s worth downloading on PS4 in 2022.

Overview of For Honor Free Weekends

Ubisoft has run free weekends for For Honor around major updates, new hero releases, and seasonal sales periods. During these events, the full base game is free on all platforms. Here are some details on how For Honor‘s free weekends work:

• All game modes are playable including story, 1v1 duels, 4v4 dominion etc.
• All original heroes are unlocked, while DLC heroes require steel to play
• Your progression carries over if you buy the game later
• Usually a preload is available a few days prior to the event
• Free periods typically last 3-5 days

I‘ve taken advantage of many free weekends myself to rep up new heroes and learn meta shifts. It‘s a great way to try out the game for free before buying at a discount.

Content Comparison – Free vs Paid

While the free version gives you a lot of content, there are some extras with the paid editions:

The main advantages of the paid editions are gaining immediate access to all heroes, outfits, and the PvE Arcade mode. However, these can be unlocked via in-game currency as well.

How For Honor Compares to Similar Games

For Honor stands out from other fighting games for its medieval themes and heavier focus on melee weapons and shields. Here‘s a brief comparison to some close alternatives:

While Mortal Kombat 11 is similar in concept, the combat mechanics differ quite a bit from For Honor‘s directional blocking and attacking system. Chivalry 2 shares more gameplay DNA but lacks the interesting faction theming.

Is For Honor Still Active in 2022?

In its 5th year after release, For Honor still maintains an active player base thanks to ongoing support from Ubisoft.

• Between 4-6k concurrent players in October 2022 per Steam Charts
• Over 2 million unique players in the last 6 months per Ubisoft
• Reddit community has over 200k members

While the player count is down from its over 25k concurrent player peak in 2018, the game is far from dead. The unique combat system and regular updates keep dedicated fans engaged.

Personally having sunk hundreds of hours into For Honor, I‘m impressed with how each hero plays distinctly and the evolving meta. The loot and progression system also feels rewarding compared to other fighting games.

What Existing Players Want Added

On the For Honor subreddits and forums, current players have voiced desires for certain improvements and content additions:

• Better anti-cheat measures
• Continued hero reworks and balancing
• More customization for armor appearances
• Story campaign expansions
• Removal of gear stats in ranked
• Cross-platform account merging

There are also complaints about heroes feeling intentionally overpowered or pay-to-win when they first launch.

Has For Honor Become Pay to Win?

When new heroes launch, there is often controversy over them feeling pay-to-win. The most recent example is Pirate, who many felt had mechanics like gun attacks and hyper armor that were too strong on release.

However, Ubisoft has been fairly good about balancing heroes within 1-2 months of launch. Once properly tuned, paying for the new heroes doesn‘t give much advantage if you can skillfully play the original ones.

Personally, I feel the advantages of upgraded gear and cosmetics are minor. Skill in mastering your hero‘s moveset is vastly more important. For Honor has not crossed into pay-to-win territory from my experience.

What I‘d Like to See in Future Updates

After hundreds of hours across multiple heroes, here are some changes I‘d love to see Ubisoft add in future seasons:

• Expanded story mode or PvE co-op missions
• More flexible customization for armor appearances
• Wider variety of signature moves and executions
• Limited time modes focused on 3v3 or 5v5 team fights
• Special events around holidays like Halloween or Winter
• Additional Wu Lin and Outlander heroes to fill roster gaps

For Honor has truly found its niche among fighting games. I hope Ubisoft continues supporting it for years to come by keeping the meta fluid and expanding customization.

When is the Next Free Period?

Based on 2022‘s schedule, the next free weekend will likely take place in late September to early November. This lines up with previous timing around new hero releases.

Barring any free periods, major sales like Black Friday, the Ubisoft Holiday Sale, and the Steam Winter Sale often discount For Honor by 80% or more.

Verdict: Worth Trying For Free on PS4

In summary, For Honor is absolutely worth checking out during the July 15-18 free period on PS4 and PS5.

The one-of-a-kind combat mechanics have impressive depth. You can experience the cinematic story mode and multiplayer versus modes entirely for free.

Veteran players continue to praise ongoing support and balance changes from Ubisoft. While the player count has dropped over the years, there remains a passionate community keeping For Honor‘s melee battles alive and kicking.

So when the next free weekend rolls around, I highly recommend PS4 and PS5 owners give it a shot. At least check out the story campaign and get a feel for the unique heroes. If it clicks for you, buy it on sale later and join the legions of warriors online.