The best free PC games (2025)

Lost Ark

Lost Ark is an MMORPG played from a top-down perspective. It’s a bit like a mash-up of Diablo III and World of Warcraft, with plenty of MMO tropes (such as teaming up for dungeons, grinding out levels, and a never-ending quest log) meshed with fast-paced combat that sees you slaying hordes of enemies in the blink of an eye. Its campaign is a bit long, but fans of ARPGs and MMOs alike will find hundreds of hours of fun with Lost Ark’s endgame.

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Warframe

If you’re looking for a highly nuanced RPG, consider giving Warframe a home on your hard drive. This third-person action game has you slicing, shooting, and bullet-jumping your way through levels at a breakneck pace. A massive arsenal of weapons and Warframes are at your disposal, each with their own unique skills that drastically alter your playstyle. There’s also an elaborate Mod system that lets you upgrade and enhance your speed, damage dealt, and other key attributes. Tinkering with all these systems is entirely free, but you’ll probably want to spend a bit of cash to upgrade your inventory space — as things can get out of hand quickly.

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was always a popular game, but things exploded after it announced its updated free-to-play monetization model and full transition into Counter-Strike 2. Since then, CS 2 has almost always held a spot as one of the most-played Steam games. The iconic shooter pits two teams against each other (one trying to plant a bomb, the other trying to defuse it) in strategic FPS matches. There are no respawns, and when you die, you’ll be left to spectate until the next round. It’s not easy — and there’s a steep learning curve — but taking on the challenge is more than worth the effort.

Valorant

If you ever wondered what Counter-Strike 2 would look like if it embraced hero shooter mechanics, you would get Valorant. There are two teams: One has the goal of planting the bomb (the “spike”), and the other is trying to diffuse it. On top of that, though, Valorantadds a roster of hero shooter-like heroes that each have their own set of abilities to add more depth to the combat on top of intelligent positioning and twitch reflexes. Valorantcombines so many elements from other genres that it creates something new entirely. The game plays like CS 2, sure, but after a few rounds, it’s clear thatValorantis operating on a different level. It’s engrossing, complex, and, best of all, free to play.

Team Fortress 2

Hiding underneath Team Fortress 2’s approachable graphics is a remarkably tactical shooter. You and your team will be tasked with one of several missions (such as stealing enemy intelligence or securing points on a map) before getting to select from a roster of nine distinct characters. Some bring incredibly heavy firepower to the battlefield, while others can disguise themselves to sneak behind enemy lines. Mastering your favorite class is the key to success, and you’ll need to coordinate carefully with your team to outwit the competition.

Rocket League

Rocket League is a weird amalgam of racing and soccer. After tricking out your car, you’ll head to the soccer pitch as you attempt to ram a giant ball into the other team’s goal. To make things even weirder, your car is equipped with rockets that can propel it into the air. It’s a ridiculous premise, but the final product is unlike anything else on the market. And now that it’s free to play, there’s nothing stopping you from joining in on the fun.

Halo Infinite

Although its campaign is locked behind a paywall, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is entirely free. The latest installment in the franchise isn’t a radical departure from past outings, with online matches consisting of well-designed maps, a varied arsenal of weapons, and plenty of ways to customize your character. A sizable Battle Pass always has a reason for you to play one more match, and a bevy of game mode makes it easy play Infinite late into the night.

Destiny 2

Destiny 2 continues to thrive, thanks to its incredibly polished gameplay and constant drip of new content. Whether you’re running around completing missions solo, diving into cooperative Raids, or taking part in its popular competitive PvP mode, Destiny 2 is an absolute thrill. Gunplay is smooth and responsive, each location is brought to life with stunning graphics, and there’s always a new piece of gear around the next corner. Much of the game is best experienced with a small fireteam, although players today have much more solo content available to them than at launch.

Genshin Impact

Originally billed as a Breath of the Wild knockoff, Genshin Impact went on to prove that it’s much more than a simple cash grab. The game offers a sprawling open world to explore, an innovative combat system that makes use of a unique party system, and an epic storyline that only grows stronger with each update. The game is entirely free to play, but dedicated players might want to drop real cash on its gacha system in the hopes of pulling some rare gear.

Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 isn’t just a sequel to Overwatch — it’s a complete replacement. The original Overwatch is now defunct, and fans seeking some team-based shooting will instead have to opt for Overwatch 2. Thankfully, the spirit of the game is still largely intact. You’ll pick from a roster of unique characters before heading into 5v5 matches, with each character bringing exclusive abilities to the battlefield. And unlike its predecessor, Overwatch 2 is free (although a premium Battle Pass is available).

Marvel Rivals

The new kid in the free-to-play hero shooter space is Marvel Rivals, which shakes up the formula by being far more than an Overwatch clone. Putting literal superheroes into the game is part of that, but Rivals doesn’t just rely on its characters to carry the experience. Each hero feels unique and true to their powers and personalities. Almost a direct counterpoint to Overwatch, this game is in third person, so you can see all your cool cosmetics and abilities, has no role queue, and is built for 6v6 battles. With 33 heroes at launch and more added each season, odds are at least one of your favorites is on this roster.

Fortnite

Fortnite is arguably one of the most iconic games of the past decade. This colorful battle royale is constantly changing, giving its gigantic fanbase a reason to return every single week. Whether you’re interested in its standard 100-player mode, cooperative Save the World mode, or any of its seasonal game modes, Fortnite offers a polished multiplayer experience unlike any other. It’s also not afraid to shy away from a collaboration — with LeBron James, John Cena, Spider-Man, and more available as playable characters.

Apex Legends

Apex LegendsisFortnite‘s meaner-looking older brother (complete with a dirty beanie). Faster and more rugged with a greater focus on gunplay, Apex Legendsis a fast-paced battle royale game with a lot of depth. It has managed to stick around for many years at this point and is still putting up record-breaking player numbers. It’s one of the best battle royale games around, after all.

Path of Exile

Since its release in 2013,Path of Exiledeveloper Grinding Gear Games has maintained a clear stance on microtransactions — you can buy items in-game, but they won’t give you an edge in any way (a hopeful mark on the cynical hearts of free-to-play enthusiasts). As for the game itself, Path of Exileis an isometric action RPG set in a dark fantasy world. Hacking and slashing are a big part of the game, but Path of Exilehas a lot of depth, too.Character customization is basically endless, offering a strong driving force behind the often monotonous nature of ARPGs.

Brawlhalla

Brawlhallais an arena-based fighting game for up to eight players that takes a lot of notes from a certain mascot-ridden Nintendo franchise. Gameplay-wise,Brawlhalladoesn’t do anything new. You’ll use your tiny character to beat up the other tiny characters and hope they fly off the map. It’s Brawlhalla‘s unique monetization model that sets it apart. There are cosmetic microtransactions, but they take a backseat to the characters. There are more than 50 playable characters in the game, and each week, eight of those characters are cycled through the free roster. You can buy all of the characters for $20 — pocket change compared to Smash Bros. — butBrawlhalla‘s cycling model allows you to try all of the characters before spending any money. If you have no particular affiliation, you can easily just use the free roster. None of the characters have any distinct advantages.

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2has kept a steady pace over the last eight years, which is a feat for any free MMORPG. Upon its release in 2012, Guild Wars 2distinguished itself by lacking a subscription fee (par for the course for MMOs at the time). With games like Elder Scrolls Onlinefollowing suit, developer ArenaNet dropped the price tag, offering the base Guild Wars 2experience for free. And there’s a lot to experience. VanillaGuild Wars 2 offers around 70 hours of gameplay, with each expansion offering an additional 80 or so hours.

EVE Online

Eve Onlineearns the “massive” bit of massively multiplayer. It’s a community-driven space exploration game with unmatched scale. Judging the actual size of space in Eve Onlineis tough — one player spent a decade exploring and still couldn’t discover everything. More space doesn’t just offer more content, but more experiences.Eve Onlineis a game about exploration until the moment you stumble upon other ships. With its scale, it’s easy to forget that you’re in space with other players, making teaming up with or against them all the more satisfying.

Neverwinter

Neverwinteris an action RPG set in the world ofDungeons & Dragons.On its own,Neverwinteris a decent time, offering old-fashioned action RPG gameplay for the low cost of free. If you’re aD&Dfan, though, it’s a must-play. Set in the wildly popularForgotten Realms campaign setting, Neverwinterharkens back to Baldur’s Gate and, of course,Neverwinter Nights,all while maintaining consistency with D&Dlore. Even if you’re not aD&Dfan,Neverwintermight turn you into one.

The Finals

While it wasn’t the first game to introduce destructibility into online shooters, it was the Battlefield franchise that pushed that technology the hardest first. Those are still some of the best FPS games on PC, but they are not free. Now, a smaller game called The Finals took that idea, shrunk it down to a more intimate PvP experience, and made destructibility both fun and tactical. Each match feels completely unique, and the different game types all shine when the map is a constantly evolving battlefield for you to exploit.

Dota 2

Dota 2is one of the most-played games on Steam.Between it andLeague of Legends,there are few differences from a gameplay perspective. They’re both MOBAs, they’re highly competitive, and the player bases are absolutely massive. The kicker is that Dota 2offers all of its 100+heroes for free, whereas Leaguecharges for them.Dota 2also heads multiple high-profile competitive events, the most prominent of which is The International.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0

The best Call of Duty games have an interesting history with the battle royale genre. Attempting to use the Blackout mode to sell Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Activision quickly learned that it couldn’t compete with rival free PC shooters. That’s where Warzone, and its latest version, Warzone 2.0, come in. They give you that same tight gunplay you love from the core game, but on a huge map with objectives, vehicles, events, and more each season. Just beware the massive amount of space this game requires.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republicoffers a look at a former version of Bioware, before the whole Anthemdebacle. It’s dated in a number of ways, from the lackluster visuals to a subscription-based monetization model, but it has thatthingthat Bioware does so well. The world feels alive, and even more impressively, distinctly unique from the movies and any other Star Wars game. The base version of the game is free, but you’ll need a subscription to get the full experience. You can play as long as you want as a free user, though the title comes with a long list of restrictions.

Hearthstone

Blizzard is the master of polish, and this was never more apparent than when the developer released Hearthstonein 2014. Taking fan-favorite characters from the Warcraft series (Thrall, Jaina Proudmoore, and many more), players battle in a Magic: The Gathering-style card duel to the virtual death, using a variety of spells and minions — including Murlocs — in an effort to lower their opponent’s health to zero. It’s a deceptively simple premise. Aside from “mana crystals,” which determine how many cards — and which cards — you can play in any one turn, there aren’t many unique game mechanics to Hearthstone. Yet the game’s brisk matches and wide range of strategies will keep you itching to play one more game. New cards, which can be purchased using gold earned through normal play, help you develop your own custom decks. You can also get cards more quickly by spending real money, though gold is given out at such a liberal rate that you can stick with playing free if you hone in on a single competitive deck.

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