Looking for something new to play this festive season?

Well, you may want to pick up Black Desert on PC as the game has been made free for a limited time, and I don’t mean a time-sensitive trial.

Yes, Black Desert is yours to keep forever if you claim it within the eligibility window.

Developed and published by Pearl Abyss, Black Desert is a MMORPG that first hopped on the scene back in 2021.

In the years since, the game has garnered over 20 million players – a very respectable number.

It’s not a game that costs a fortune, typically retailing for £8.99, but if you head on over to Steam before 6 January at 6pm, you’ll be able to download the game for free.

Should you like what you play, there are also some hefty discounts on the game’s bundles.

You can nab the Explorer bundle for £21.74, which includes the Traveler to Explorer pack, at 37% off, or the Conqueror bundle for £43.40, which includes the previous content plus the Explorer to Conqueror pack, at 44% off.

I wouldn’t concern yourself with those packs though if you’re brand new to the game and simply want to take advantage of the fact that it’s free.

If that describes you, allow me to explain exactly what it is that Black Desert entails.

Black Desert centres around two warring rival nations, the Republic of Calpheon and the Kingdom of Valencia.

The realms were once at peace, but this all changed when the black death began to spread, harming trade while so many perished.

You see, with the realm’s respective coffers under pressure, new means of commerce had to be created.

It was an area known as Mediah that first stumbled across a new precious form of black stone.

The other realms caught on with Valencia home to an entire desert filled with the stones while Calpheon, on the other hand, was home to none.

Instead Calpheon took to stealing stones – and you can see why the state of affairs between the neighbouring kingdoms fell into disarray.

You’ll find yourself amidst this conflict, partaking in the usual MMORPG fare – building a settlement, trading, fighting foes, and exploring the so-called Black Desert.

According to How Long To Beat, this title could keep you occupied for over 141 hours if we’re to go off a median all-playstyles approach.

Some completionists have logged over 2000 hours, so this could be well worth picking up for free if you’re after a time sink.