Yo Gamers, Let‘s Talk About Stacking Free Trials

So you come across a sweet new game that‘s offering a free 7-day trial. Of course you sign up right away – who can resist checking out a hot new title for free? And what if you created a few extra accounts to score some additional trial time? I feel you, but let‘s talk about whether that could get you into trouble.

Can You Go to Jail for Too Many Free Trails?

I know, I know, you just can‘t tear yourself away from that new RPG even after your trial ended. Before you try anything crazy, rest assured you can‘t go to jail just for wanting more of your gaming fix!

As long as you don‘t try to directly scam or commit fraud against the game company, getting multiple trials on different accounts is not directly illegal. However, it may violate Terms of Service which could potentially lead to account suspensions or bans.

Sneaky Tricks Game Companies Use to Stop Abuse

Gaming companies totally expect people to try extending free trials, so they‘ve gotten creative with prevention tactics:

• Credit card or PayPal required – This way they can easily charge you when the trial ends. Some bank accounts have even been mysteriously drained by these recurring charges!

• Phone verification – Links your trial to your mobile device so you can‘t just create endless dummy accounts.

• Tracking hardware specs – Systems like Vanguard for Valorant link trials to your specific computer specs, so you can‘t just restart trials on the same machine.

• IP address monitoring – Companies can spot when trials all originate from the same location and block further signups. Time to beg your neighbors to log in for you! (Joking, please don‘t do that.)

Horror Stories About Extreme Free Trial Abuse

While most players will stick to using a few alt accounts to prolong trials, some have taken things way too far:

• One woman racked up $31 million dollars worth of store credit through fake game coupon codes until the FBI came after her! She‘ll be thinking about what she‘s done for 12 years behind bars.

• Steam account hijackers will take old dormant accounts used for trials and steal them to smurf, cheat, or even resell them. Getting your account stolen is no fun.

• Last year, 20 players sued Epic Games for banning their regular Fortnite accounts after the company detected they were stacking monthly free trial subscriptions of Fortnite Crew. Oops! No more V-bucks for them.

Reviewing Major Gaming Platform Trial Policies

Before you try to outsmart any gaming free trial systems, make sure you know what you‘re getting into! Here are quick overviews of some of the largest gaming platforms and their trial rules:

*See individual sites for full details. Policies can vary by country and region.

Tips for Responsible Free Trial Usage

While juicing a few extra trials might seem harmless, it can potentially jeopardize your accounts and access. Play it safe when trying games for free with these tips:

• One trial per game at a time – Creating 10 accounts to play New World free for 2 months is not a great idea.

• Use different emails/payment methods – This helps avoid linking duplicate accounts.

• Read the fine print – Understand a company‘s free trial and refund policy before assuming how long you can play.

• Set reminders to cancel – The #1 reason people get charged for trials is forgetting to cancel automatic renewals. Post-it notes help!

Free trials let you preview games risk-free. Just don‘t take advantage and get yourself perma-banned! As long as you use trials fairly and legally, you can enjoy all the hottest new game releases. Happy (and responsible) gaming!

Game on, friends! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about free trial policies for your favorite gaming platforms.