For the final couple of years, PC customers have been capable of seize free video games each week from the Epic Games Retailer. Epic’s Free Games program presents all kinds of titles to select from, with the storefront mixing AAA hits with under-the-radar indies. This has helped develop the Epic Games Retailer over time, in addition to shine a highlight on video games that folks may need ignored in an more and more crowded market.
“Within the early days of the Epic Games Retailer, the intent of the Free Games program was to maintain giving gamers compelling causes to return again each week as we constructed an viewers and the catalog,” Kyle Billings, director of technique and enterprise operations on the Epic Games Retailer, mentioned to GameSpot. “We began month-to-month whereas we constructed up the programming and moved to weekly as quickly as we may. In January 2025, we ran a really related playbook with the cell retailer once we launched.”
“We all know the Free Games program helps gamers uncover new video games or video games that they by no means had an opportunity to play beforehand, and it continues to carry us round 8-9 million new customers yearly. This additionally helps builders proceed to develop publicity for his or her video games. Ultimately, we see the advantages to each gamers and the trade.”
Discovering the fitting sport for the Free Games program is a balancing act, as Billings added that whereas builders will strategy Epic to collaborate, the corporate additionally seeks out titles that it sees as match for the weekly giveaway.
“We’ve got an unimaginable staff that’s all the time on the lookout for titles that might be nice candidates for this system by means of on-line analysis, social media, phrase of mouth, taking part in video games, and speaking to builders at trade occasions,” Billings mentioned. “In parallel, our developer companions pitch us titles for inclusion. We’ve got to stability all of that towards an annual funds and the calendar, which often nets out to round 75 titles a 12 months.”
Wanting forward, Epic has some large plans for its digital storefront because it positions {the marketplace} as a viable different to Steam. Epic lately posted its year-in-review stats, revealing that over $1 billion was spent within the retailer all through 2025, and it plans to draw extra PC avid gamers with a whole overhaul of the Epic Games Retailer and free Fortnite cosmetics.