Steam‘s Free-to-Keep Promotion is practically unbeatable when it comes to permanent free games, but when it comes to temporary free games, Steam’s Free Weekend Promotion is undefeated in that field too, with the 4 games joining the latter promotion. As it stands, users can play these games for free through July 27, and if they find they enjoy the game, they can pick ’em up on Steam at a steep discount too.
This Steam Free Weekend offers six different games, although there appears to be a little favoritism toward different varieties of survival games on Steam. But whether single-player, co-op, or something a little bit unique, it appears this Steam promotion has it all.
Steam Free Weekend Games List for July 2026 (July 23-27)
Until July 27 at 12 pm CT, Steam’s Free Weekend Promotion has made Icarus, Firefighting Simulator: Ignite, Killing Floor 3, Wild Assault, Unrailed 2: Back on Track, and Metal Gear Solid – Master Collection Version all available for free. Depending on the game and how long they play, Steam users might be able to beat it at absolutely no charge. At the same time, it’s worth mentioning that Firefighting Simulator: Ignite is also available on PS Plus Extra, while Metal Gear Solid – Master Collection Version is part of Xbox’s Free Play Days, should anyone prefer to check those games out on those platforms.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
Should someone also want to extend their time with any of these Steam games beyond this weekend, discounts are available during and after the Free Weekend promotion, all of which is noted below. Alongside discount info and links to each Steam game, the following breakdowns are designed to help gamers decide which Free Weekend game to play (if not multiple).
Icarus
Icarus is a session-based survival game on Steam for up to 8 players from the creator of DayZ where players repeatedly drop onto a hostile alien world to gather resources, complete contracts, and escape before time runs out, giving it a little bit of an extraction gameplay loop as well. Every expedition is a race against the planet itself, forcing players to build shelters, hunt wildlife, craft increasingly advanced equipment, and survive harsh weather while balancing the risk of staying longer for better rewards. Between missions, players return to orbit to spend their earnings on permanent upgrades before heading back down for another run.
- Release Date: December 3, 2021
- Genre: Open-World Survival Crafting
- Developer: RocketWerkz
- Steam Review Rating: 76% Mostly Positive (30K+ User Reviews)
- Can you beat it before the Free Play Days Promotion ends? No. Hundreds+
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Price and discount information, if applicable: 80% Off Until July 30 (
$34.99–> $6.99) - Steam Link: Play Icarus Free on Steam
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite puts players in the boots of professional firefighters responding to emergencies ranging from house fires to large-scale industrial disasters. Players can face the smoke alone or in parties of up to 4 co-op players, and while it’s pretty standard for a co-op game on Steam, it’s one of the best firefighting simulators on the market period.
- Release Date: September 9, 2025
- Genre: Co-Op Simulation
- Developer: Weltenbauer Software
- Steam Review Rating: 80% Very Positive (1800+ Player Reviews)
- Can you beat it before the Free Play Days Promotion ends? 30 Hours, so unlikely
- Price and discount information, if applicable: -40% off until July 27 ($34.99 –> $20.99)
- Steam Link: Play Firefighting Simulator: Ignite Free on Steam
IMPORTANT NOTE: Firefighting Simulator: Ignite leaves the Steam Free Weekend Promotion earlier than other games, leaving at 3 pm CT on July 26.
Killing Floor 3
Killing Floor 3 is the latest entry in Tripwire Interactive’s long-running co-op horror shooter series, taking players into a near-future world overrun by Zeds. Building on the formula established by its predecessors, Killing Floor 3 adds improved movement, more detailed gore, expanded character progression, and deadlier enemy AI while keeping the series’ signature focus on sheer chaos.
- Release Date: July 24, 2025
- Genre: Co-Op FPS
- Developer: Tripwire Interactive
- Steam Review Rating: Mixed (48% Positive After 8.4K User Reviews)
- Can you beat it before the Free Play Days Promotion ends? In 5-12 hours, it’s doable
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Price and discount information, if applicable: -50% Off until August 6 (
$39.99–>$19.99) - Steam Link: Play Killing Floor 3 Free on Steam
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Wild Assault
Wild Assault is a multiplayer third-person hero shooter on Steam that blends objective-based warfare with anthropomorphic animal heroes, each bringing their own unique weapons, movement abilities, and combat roles to the battlefield, as expected of the genre. In some ways, it’s an animal meets Overwatch meets Gray Zone Warfare game, in case anyone ever wanted to play either shooter as an animal. In case.
- Release Date: May 28, 2026
- Genre: Tactical Hero Shooter
- Developer: Combat Cat Studio
- Steam Review Rating: Mixed (68% Positive After 2K User Reviews)
- Can you beat it before the Free Play Days Promotion ends? N/A as a multiplayer game
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Price and discount information, if applicable: -55% until August 6 (
$14.99–> $6.74) - Steam Link: Play Wild Assault for Free on Steam
More than 25 years later, Metal Gear Solid remains a landmark release that helped define cinematic action games and established many of the mechanics the stealth genre still builds on today, and this game is a chance to revisit the iconic stealth game on Steam (or play it again).
- Release Date: October 24, 2023
- Genre: Action Stealth
- Developer: Konami
- Steam Review Rating: 83% Very Positive (2.6K user reviews)
- Can you beat it before the Free Play Days Promotion ends? Around 12 hours, Yes
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Price and discount information, if applicable: -50% off until July 27 (
$19.99–>$9.99) - Steam Link: Play Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Version Free on Steam
Unrailed 2: Back on Track
Unrailed 2: Back on Track is a co-op train building game where players must keep it moving by using resources, laying tracks, upgrading the train, and overcoming constant unpredictable obstacles. It’s one of those co-op games that thrive on chaos, with the sequel adding more biomes, progression, customizable characters, upgrades, and so forth.
- Release Date: June 11, 2026
- Genre: Co-Op Trains
- Developer: Indoor Astronaut
- Steam Review Rating: 88% Very Positive (1600 Reviews)
- Can you beat it before the Free Play Days Promotion ends?
- Price and discount information, if applicable: -40% until August 3 ($19.99–>$11.99)
- Steam Link: Play Unrailed 2 Free on Steam
While the Free Weekend Promotion is ongoing, it’s still worth claiming what’s currently available on the Steam Free-to-Keep Promotion. Until July 30, Steam users can download Yet Another Zombie Defense HD via the Promotion at absolutely no cost, and it’s a pretty straightforward, unserious zombie game. It’s a good, simple time, and that’s exactly what it bills itself as. For those checking out the recent release of The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, the Lost Explorers’ Swords Pack is also available for free until July 29.
