Ozzy Osbourne's death honored as beloved video game goes free for a limited time

The heavy metal music scene has been changed forever, with the tragic passing of Ozzy Osbourne at the age of 76.

Known as the vocalist and co-founder of Black Sabbath, Osbourne gained the nickname of being the 'Prince of Darkness' during an illustrious career that spanned nearly 60 years.

Osbourne had been struggling with his health since he was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2003, although he didn't reveal this to the world until 2020.

Passing away at his home in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom, Osbourne died just 17 days after his final performance at the Back to the Beginning farewell concert.

More than just leaving behind his music legacy that includes over 100 million albums sold, Osborne is remembered for his hit reality TV series, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Did you also know he leaves behind an impressive gaming catalog?

Osbourne was famously featured in 2009's Brutal Legend, lending his voice and likeness to a character called The Guardian of Metal.

Ozzy was one of the many big names to appear in Double Fine Productions' underrated action-adventure title, with Jack Black, Judas Priest's Rob Halford, Motörhead's Lemmy, and The Runaways' Lita Ford all having major roles.

In honor of Osbourne's passing, Double Fine has confirmed you can get Brutal Legend for absolutely nothing...but you'll have to be quick.

Posting on Bluesky, the Microsoft-owned developer confirmed Brutal Legend was going free on Itch.io for 666 minutes. This is a not-so-subtle nod to Osbourne's love of all things dark.

Double Fine warned: "But this incredible deal will only last for 666 minutes, as the prophecy foretold. So get yourself clicking, before it disappears like a demon in the night…"

We're guessing the promotion is only through Itch.io because Steam won't allow the promotion of 666.

Brutal Legend wasn't Osborne's only gaming appearance, and as well as an 8-bit video game called Legend of Ozzy, some might remember him appearing as the 'Prince of Darkness' in a World of Warcraft advert.

It also wouldn't be Guitar Hero without Ozzy, becoming an unlockable playable character after completing "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" in Guitar Hero World Tour's vocalist career.

Despite Brutal Legend's mixed reception and the fact that it was later caught in a legal battle between Double Fine and Activision, those on Reddit vowed to flock back to the title in honor of Ozzy Osbourne.

One fan cheered: "I was sold on the trailer with the guardian of metal saying It's about f**king time. I went in expecting an okay-ish game with music from the bands that I liked, and ended up with something I totally did not expect I needed."

Another added: "Man...this feels like a blast to the past. Feeling emotional both from Ozzy's passing and the nostalgia."

A third concluded: "Thank you for the link! I've been wanting to play this for years! R.I.P. The Prince of Darkness."