Every month, gamers on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox have fresh batches of free games that they can claim and download for their digital libraries. Each service handles its free games differently, and while there is clearly more effort being put in some programs than others, there's no beating "free."
At the time of this writing, the Epic Games Store has one free game for users to download, while PlayStation Plus has four games in addition to the PS Plus Collection titles on PS5. Xbox Games with Gold, meanwhile, has three games that subscribers can download right now, with two more joining the lineup a little bit later in the month.
Here are all the free games users can download right now across the Epic Games Store, PlayStation Plus, and Xbox Games with Gold.
Epic Games Store Free Games
- The Spectrum Retreat
Typically the Epic Games Store gives away two free games at a time, but for whatever reason, it kicked off July 2021 with a single free game. It's unclear why that is at the time of this writing, but in any case, Epic Games Store users can claim The Spectrum Retreat for their collection right now, completely free of charge with zero strings attached. It will be available to Epic Games Store users until it's replaced on Thursday, July 8 at 10:00am CT.
The Spectrum Retreat, for those who are unfamiliar with the game, is a narrative-driven puzzle game that uses colors as its main gameplay hook. The game is notable for having been developed by Dan Smith, who started work on it at the age of 15. Critics were mixed on The Spectrum Retreat at the time of its original release in 2018, but it still received some award nods. With it being free to all Epic Games Store users, anyone with the launcher downloaded can try it out without making any kind of financial commitment, so they can decide for themselves if it's something that's up their alley.
On July 8 at 10:00am CT, The Spectrum Retreat is going to be replaced by two separate free games on the Epic Games Store. The first is Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead. As its title implies, Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead is a marriage between the Bridge Constructor puzzle game series and AMC's The Walking Dead TV series. In the game players have to build bridges to help survivors from The Walking Dead get away from hordes of zombies.
The other free Epic Games Store game coming on July 8 is a turn-based strategy game called Ironcast. Set in an alternate history, steampunk version of the 1880s, Ironcast was well-received by critics and should prove to be a solid option for fans of the turn-based strategy genre.
Once Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead and Ironcast hit the Epic Games Store, fans should find out what games will be replacing them the following week, July 15. It's unclear at the time of this writing if Epic Games Store users will have two free games to claim next week or just one, but they should find out in a matter of days.
PlayStation Plus Free Games for July 2021
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown Edition
- WWE 2K Battlegrounds
Every month, PlayStation Plus subscribers can look forward to adding at least three new games to their digital library, and July 2021 is no different. As usual, there is one free PlayStation 5 PS Plus game for fans to claim, along with two new PS4 games. However, July 2021 is a bit different in that there is one holdover from the free PS Plus games for June 2021 offerings that subscribers will have until August to claim as well.
First up is A Plague Tale: Innocence, which is the free PS Plus PS5 game for July 2021. The next-gen version of A Plague Tale: Innocence should be the definitive version of the game and will help get fans ready for the sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem. Only the PS5 version of the game will be available to PS Plus subscribers, so those who have yet to upgrade to Sony's new console won't be able to play the older PS4 version through PS Plus.
Those on PS4 will be able to get their hands on Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, however. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 earned strong reviews when it was first released, offering Call of Duty fans the franchise's signature multiplayer experience, a robust Zombies mode, and the popular Blackout battle royale mode. Regardless of one's feelings about the Call of Duty franchise, there's no denying the bang for the buck that each game offers, so Black Ops 4's addition to the PS Plus lineup is definitely a strong one.
PS Plus subscribers can also add WWE 2K Battlegrounds to their collection in July. WWE 2K Battlegrounds reviews weren't the greatest, but the game did fare quite a bit better with critics than the WWE 2K game that preceded it, the critically-panned WWE 2K20. It's an arcadey, over-the-top take on WWE with a fairly impressive roster, and while it may not be the best wrestling game ever made, there's no additional financial commitment to those who are already subscribed to PS Plus.
And finally, Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown Edition is also available as a free download to PS Plus subscribers in July. Originally part of the free PS Plus games for June 2021 lineup, Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown Edition is an enhanced version of the critically-acclaimed fighting game. PS Plus subscribers have until August to claim it for their collection.
PlayStation Plus Collection Games
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Battlefield 1
- Bloodborne
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- Days Gone
- Detroit: Become Human
- Fallout 4
- Final Fantasy 15
- God of War
- Infamous: Second Son
- Monster Hunter World
- Mortal Kombat X
- Persona 5
- Ratchet & Clank
- Resident Evil 7
- The Last Guardian
- The Last of Us Remastered
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Until Dawn
And of course, PS Plus subscribers on PS5 also have the PlayStation Plus Collection games to choose from as well. The PlayStation Plus Collection lineup has not changed since the PS5 first launched in November of last year, and it doesn't seem like it will be changing anytime soon. All of these games are completely free to play to any PS5 owner with PS Plus, so it's definitely a great deal for anyone that has yet to play these.
Xbox Free Games with Gold for July 2021
- Planet Alpha (July 1 - July 31)
- Conker: Live & Reloaded (July 1 - July 15)
- Shadows: Awakening (available until July 15)
The Xbox free Games with Gold program doesn't give players all of the free games for July 2021 right off the bat. Instead Xbox Live Gold subscribers get their games in a staggered fashion, with one Games with Gold for June 2021 holdover still available to download until July 15 in the form of Shadows: Awakening. Besides that, there are two new Xbox free Games with Gold games for subscribers to download in July as well.
The first is Planet Alpha, which is one of the Xbox One offerings for this month. The other is the headliner for the Xbox free Games with Gold for July 2021, and it's none other than Conker: Live & Reloaded. A remake of Conker's Bad Fur Day, Conker: Live & Reloaded improves the graphics of the Nintendo 64 original and offers a new multiplayer mode. It's not quite as popular as the original game, but it's still a solid offering for the Games with Gold program.
Later in the month, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will also be able to claim Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break and Midway Arcade Origins, both of which will be available starting July 16.