Get Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on Xbox One/PS4 for Free by Buying a Digital 360/PS3 Copy

If you're a Call of Duty fan who hasn't upgraded to a current-gen console but is planning to do so, Activision has a tempting offer to get you to buy Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare digitally. By buying a downloadable copy of the game on either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, you'll get the Xbox One or PS4 version (respectively) for free.

Activision announced the promotion today, and it's a lot like what it did last year with Call of Duty: Ghosts--except this time it isn't asking for $10 to let you upgrade. (It's also identical to a recent Destiny promotion.) The only real catch is that you have to buy a digital copy of the game. Because this ties it to your Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account, you can't get a free Xbox One/PS4 game and then sell your physical copy or hand it to a friend. However, your 360 or PS3 copy will still work once you've downloaded your current-gen version.

In the case of Sony's systems, this is a Cross-Buy game, meaning a PS4 purchase nets you the PS3 copy or vice versa. It's unclear if the Xbox offer is 360-to-One only, but we've followed up with Activision to find out.

One important note: You can't move from one console family to the other. In other words, buying a PS3 copy can only get you a free PS4 game, and buying an Xbox 360 copy can only get you a free Xbox One game.

In addition to being able to upgrade to a current-gen version of the game for free, you'll be able to transfer other things. This includes any of your multiplayer stats and gear, as well as downloadable content you've purchased, including the season pass. If you're upgrading to the free game, you'll need to have bought a last-gen copy by March 31, 2015. There is no deadline on transferring any DLC or progress across console generations.

Claiming your Xbox One or PS4 game (or DLC) simply involves logging into the same account as you made the purchase on, and browsing to it on the respective console's store.

Advanced Warfare launches on November 4, but you'll be able to get your hands on it a day early by preordering the Day Zero edition.