Chivalry 2 gears up for 'Merry Chivmas' with a massive update, free weekend, and 'yule goat' weapon

Good news for fans of screaming and violence: Chivalry 2 has gotten a major update, and Torn Banner is giving everyone a free weekend of the game to try it out. The game got its Winter War update on November 30, dragging the medieval brutality simulator into the holiday season with a new campaign pass, map, weapons and characters, but the free weekend begins today, alongside the game's annual Merry Chivmas event.

If you've not had the good fortune to experience Chivmas before, here's what that entails: Until January 5, Chivalry 2 players will be able to "experience a wonderland of holiday themed maps and carryables in the LIMITED TIME: Chivmas queue". That means Christmas decorations on certain maps, snowmen, sleigh bells, and a dizzying array of festive weapons, including gift-wrapped anvils, "Chivmas elves," and something listed only as "Julbock (Yule Goat)". Enigmatic. Threatening.

The free weekend has already begun, making a fun Christmas treat for all of us. It is, of course, a Thursday, and not the weekend at all, so that's one more chip in the once-mighty edifice that is our shared understanding of language.

The game got its Winter War update on Wednesday, November 30, which brought with it a new team objective map—The Assault on Thayic Stronghold—and the ability for skilled players to take on the role of King Argon II, as well as new weapons and armoury items. The content itself seems to have gone down relatively well, but more than a few players on the game's subreddit have complained about lag, stutter and bugs (including a particularly pernicious one that seems to stall campaign pass progress). With any luck, the hotfix that accompanies today's Chivmas event has ironed the worst of those out.

Chivalry 2 is, well, it's ridiculous: A barely-coherent riot of blood-covered warriors, naked and screaming, pummeling one another with whatever they can get their hands on. It's fantastic. We scored it 91% in last year's Chivalry 2 review, giving special props to its "complex and challenging melee combat system" that can veer between making you feel like a total badass and an utter fool. There really isn't much else out there like it.

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.