While many PC gamers have continued to use Steam as their primary client when it comes to gaming, there have been some that have switched to using the Epic Games Store on a more frequent basis. Since the service launched in 2018, players have seen themselves drawn to the storefront for a variety of reasons such as exclusives titles like Hitman 3. These games that are only available on the Epic Games Store are certainly an enticing reason to use Epic's service, however, perhaps the most common reason players have utilized it is for its rotating selection of free games.
The Epic Games Store has been offering select free games on its platform since it launched at the end of 2018. Beginning with Subnautica and Super Meat Boy, these titles rotate on a bimonthly basis, with players that have kept up to date being able to accumulate an impressively large library of games without having to spend a dime. And while not every game that has been made available through this program are AAA blockbusters, Epic has managed to provide its users with some impressively major games over the past couple of years.
The Arkham Trilogy
Batman Day (September 21) 2019 marked an impressive milestone for DC's Caped Crusader as he reached his 80th anniversary. In celebration of this achievement, the Epic Games Store had somewhat of a Batman extravaganza by giving players six games, three of which were the critically-acclaimed Arkham Trilogy (Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight). Alongside these three titles, players were also able to download the LEGO Batman trilogy of games for free as well, giving many players countless hours of Batman to sink their teeth into over the following weeks.
Watch Dogs 2
It's no secret that the Watch Dogs games have been a bit inconsistent with their quality since the original released in 2014. However, in September of 2020, players were able to download Watch Dogs 2, the seemingly common fan favorite of the franchise, for free and keep it forever. While this seemed to be an attempt to get players excited for Ubisoft's upcoming Watch Dogs: Legion as it released in October, it seems that some of these players had a much more enjoyable experience with the second entry than the latest one.
Hitman
In August of 2020, it was announced that the third game in IO Interactive's trilogy of Hitman games would be exclusively available through the Epic Games Store. Alongside this announcement, players could download and keep the first game in this trilogy for free. While previous games in the long-running Hitman franchise have been inconsistent with their quality, this reboot seemed to propel the series into a new direction that more players seemed to be able to latch themselves onto. Hopefully, IO will be able to pull off the same feat when it comes to Project 007.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Perhaps the biggest and most exciting game that has been free via the Epic Games Store is the hit open-world game, Grand Theft Auto 5. The fifth game in the classic GTA franchise was available for free for a limited time in May of 2020. Despite it originally releasing in 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360, GTA5 remains one of the most popular games around and its inclusion as a free title on Epic's storefront seemed to prove that the publisher's reach is wide within the games industry. It's no wonder then that players believed a fake "leaked" list of free games that included the likes of Metal Gear Solid 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn. If Epic can give away Grand Theft Auto 5 for free, it seems possible that it could let players have any game for free.