For the last couple of years, PC users have been able to grab free games every week from the Epic Games Store. Epic’s Free Games program offers a wide variety of titles to choose from, with the storefront mixing AAA hits with under-the-radar indies. This has helped grow the Epic Games Store over time, as well as shine a spotlight on games that people might have overlooked in an increasingly crowded market.
“In the early days of the Epic Games Store, the intent of the Free Games program was to keep giving players compelling reasons to come back every week as we built an audience and the catalog,” Kyle Billings, director of strategy and business operations at the Epic Games Store, said to GameSpot. “We started monthly while we built up the programming and moved to weekly as soon as we could. In January 2025, we ran a very similar playbook with the mobile store when we launched.”
“We know the Free Games program helps players discover new games or games that they never had a chance to play previously, and it continues to bring us around 8-9 million new users every year. This also helps developers continue to grow exposure for their games. In the end, we see the benefits to both players and the industry.”
Finding the right game for the Free Games program is a balancing act, as Billings added that while developers will approach Epic to collaborate, the company also seeks out titles that it sees as a good fit for the weekly giveaway.
“We have an incredible team that is always looking for titles that would be great candidates for the program through online research, social media, word of mouth, playing games, and talking to developers at industry events,” Billings said. “In parallel, our developer partners pitch us titles for inclusion. We have to balance all of that against an annual budget and the calendar, which usually nets out to around 75 titles a year.”
Looking ahead, Epic has some big plans for its digital storefront as it positions the marketplace as a viable alternative to Steam. Epic recently posted its year-in-review stats, revealing that over $1 billion was spent in the store throughout 2025, and it plans to attract more PC gamers with a complete overhaul of the Epic Games Store and free Fortnite cosmetics.