The Epic Games Store gives away new free games every week, typically two at a time. However, the Epic Games Store recently broke from its usual pattern by only announcing one free game for the week of August 26 to September 2. There have been times in the past when the Epic Games Store has only given out a single game, but it seems that this time around, the storefront actually had a surprise up its sleeve.
Epic Games Store users can claim Saints Row: The Third Remastered for free from now until September 2 at 10:00am CT. Saints Row: The Third was surprisingly added to the Epic Games Store free games lineup with no prior announcement, likely as a way to help promote the upcoming Saints Row reboot that was announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live. Anyone unfamiliar with the Epic Games Store should note that absolutely no purchase is necessary to claim Saints Row 3 for their digital library; all they need to do is download the Epic Games Store launcher and claim it between now and September 2, and it's free for them to keep forever.
With the Saints Row reboot announced at Gamescom, it stands to reason that fans of the franchise may be looking to revisit the previous games in the series. Saints Row: The Third is generally considered one of the better Saints Row games, so it's a solid pick.
It should be noted that this particular version of Saints Row: The Third is the remastered version. The Saints Row 3 remaster didn't earn quite as high of praise as the original release, but that was more due to the core game design being a bit outdated by today's standards than anything else. In any case, it being free means that anyone interested can now try it without paying a single cent, which will definitely make it easier for fans to overlook any flaws.
Saints Row: The Third should be a good way for fans to help pass the time while they wait to learn more about the Saints Row reboot. There was some brief Saints Row reboot gameplay footage shown at Gamescom, and the game's basic premise and characters were established, but it's clear that a lot more needs to be revealed. The Saints Row reboot will launch early next year, so there's still quite some time for Volition to reveal more about the upcoming open world game.
Meanwhile, Epic Games Store users can still claim the current Epic Games Store free games, which are Void Bastards and Yooka-Laylee. Saints Row: The Third Remastered will soon be joined by Automachef in the EGS free games lineup, with that title set to be added on August 26 at 10:00am CT.