Steam‘s Free Weekend promotion is officially in full swing from now through September 7, while the beloved storefront also has three more freebies confirmed for upcoming new releases as part of its Free-to-Keep Promotion. While past Steam Free Weekend games made more games free, there’s no denying that the two chosen for this Steam promotion swing for the fences.
For clarity, it’s worth knowing the difference between Steam’s Free Weekend Promotion and Steam’s Free-to-Keep Promotion. The two are basically inverse promotions. Steam Free-to-Keep games are only available to claim within a certain window, but if someone does that, then they can keep the game forever and play it whenever. Meanwhile, Steam’s Free Weekend Promotion (which mostly takes place from Thursday to Monday with a few exceptions) lets players play a game with typically no hard stops, but they only have a limited amount of time for it.
The Steam Free Weekend games for September 3-September 7 (one gets extended time) are Civilization 7 and First Class Trouble. First Class Trouble can be played for free until September 7 at 10 am PT/12 p ET, while Civ 7 lasts through September 7 and lasts until September 10 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET, presumably because of how long games of Civ 7 can be. In both cases, Steam users can expect a discount should they decide to pick up the full game.
Meanwhile, Steam has already confirmed 3 free-to-keep promotions for October 2026. Unfortunately, they are not for games, instead being freebies for 3 new October 2026 games. That makes Steam the best place to pick up the following games, if anyone is interested in these giveaways:
- MXGP 26 – Scrubdesignz Liveries
- Gear.Club Unlimited 3 – Gear.Club Signature Pack
- Hunting Simulator 3 – Classic American Hunter Pack
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
As for this weekend’s promotion, fans can find extra details (and links) below to help decide which game to invest in the next few days.
Civilization 7
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 is a turn-based strategy game on Steam where players build and lead a civilization through different periods of human history. The game is divided into three major Ages (Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern), with players able to keep the same civilization, evolve into a new one, or create a hybrid approach as their empire develops. Players expand their territory, establish cities and towns, research technologies, build Wonders, engage in diplomacy and warfare, and pursue different paths to victory. Civilization 7 also separates leaders from civilizations for the first time, allowing players to mix and match leaders and civilizations to create different strategies. It supports single-player and multiplayer, including cross-platform play between PC and consoles.
- Release Date: February 10, 2025
- Genre: Grand Strategy
- Developer: Firaxis Games
- Publisher: 2K
- Steam Review Rating: 51% Mixed
- Can you beat it before the Promotion ends? Almost certainly not. A game or two, probably.
- Purchase Discount: -50% off (for $34.99) until September 17
- Play Civ 7 Free on Steam until September 10 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET
First Class Trouble
First Class Trouble is a multiplayer social deduction game on Steam set aboard a luxurious space cruise ship that has suffered a disaster. Players take on the roles of human Residents or secretly hostile Personoids (killer robots disguised as humans), with everyone trying to survive and shut down the ship’s Central Artificial Intelligence Network, CAIN. Residents have to work together, gather information, and figure out who they can trust, while Personoids lie, sabotage the group, and eliminate other players. The game also features proximity voice chat, environmental hazards that can be used to kill other players, character customization, and different themed levels. It supports 4-12 players in custom games and six players in standard games.
- Release Date: November 1, 2021
- Genre: Social Deduction
- Developer: Invisible Walls
- Publisher: Invisible Walls
- Steam Review Rating: 78% Mostly Positive
- Can you beat it before the Promotion ends? As a multiplayer game, not really. It is possible to get one’s fill of it, however, but it’s worth checking out for anyone who enjoys party games.
- Purchase Discount: -70% off ($4.49) until September 17
- Play First Class Trouble Free on Steam until September 7 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET