The best things in life are free, and the same can be said of video games. No matter the genre you’re into, be it RPG, shooter, MMO, or card game, chances are there’s a free-to-play game in that genre built just for you.

Free doesn’t mean bad, or lacking in content, either. Most often, you download the base game for free and can pay for additional cosmetics, DLC, or to speed up your progress. That latter point can lead to predatory practices, but that’s why we’ve put together this list, so you can avoid the worst offenders.

We’re confident that all of the games below will provide you with hundreds of hours of fun at zero cost.

Counter-Strike 2 | Valve | Steam

The latest entry in the long-running shooter series usurped CS:GO as part of a huge free update. The biggest change was a complete overhaul of the engine, upgrading to Source 2, resulting in vastly improved visuals, physics, and atmospheric effects.

Actually, we lied. The new smoke grenades are the biggest change. Seriously, go check them out.

Aside from that, it’s Counter-Strike as you know and love it, with all of the leaderboards, familiar maps, and pinpoint accurate shooting that you know and love.

Dota 2 | Valve | Steam

It’s difficult to believe that one of the world’s biggest MOBAs started life as a Warcraft 3 mod. Dota 2 completely overhauled the original over a decade ago, introducing fancy new visuals, modes, and a ranking system to help you show off your abilities.

There’s a reason it sits eternally at the top of Steam’s most-played charts. No game rewards mastery like a good MOBA, and Dota 2 is up there with the best of them. With hundreds of characters to learn, new builds to theory-craft, and regular updates that keep you on your toes, it’s well worth checking out.

Player Unknown’s BattleGrounds | PUBG Corporation / Krafton Inc | Steam / Epic Games / PlayStation / Xbox

While Fornite got all of the attention for it, PUBG actually kicked off the battle royale sensation that swept gaming during the tail end of last decade. You know the drill: jump out of a helicopter, pick a landing spot, and loot gear that will help you survive. Now, it’s just a simple case of wiping out the 99 other players while avoiding a storm that perpetually closes in.

It’s easy to see why the genre got so popular: it triggers your innate survival instincts. Not only that, but you can team up with three friends and work as a team, with buildings to hole up in and vehicles that make short work of getting around the map. It’s received a ton of updates too, and is barely recognisable compared to the original game at this point.

Naraka: Bladepoint | NetEase | Steam / Epic Games / Xbox / PlayStation / Loading Bay

Like the idea of battle royale but aren’t a fan of shooters? Naraka: Bladepoint is the game for you. It even draws from hero shooters like Overwatch 2 to provide you with a varied cast of characters, each with their own fighting style.

Aesthetically, it’s like a martial arts movie brought to life. In fact, the combat system makes Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon look slow in comparison. You learn to pull off combos, parry attacks, and dive out of the way of danger. Think Street Fighter but on a fully 3D plane.

Grab it for free right now on Steam.

Apex Legends | Respawn Entertainment | Steam / Epic Games / PlayStation / Xbox / Switch

Apex Legends is a relative latecomer in the battle royale space, but one that brought Titanfall 2’s particular blend of combat. Very much a case of better later than never, then.

It also introduced a variety of innovative methods of communication that helped coordinate a team of randoms without needing a headset. You could tag decent gear drops, nearby enemies, or locations that you wanted to visit next.

Since launch, Apex Legends has introduced a wide variety of new modes that make it much more than a simple battle royale. It’s like Call of Duty, Overwatch 2, and PUBG all combined.

Fortnite | Epic Games | Epic Games / PlayStation / Xbox / Switch / Android / iOS

Who hasn’t heard of Fortnite at this point? It’s arguably the world’s biggest free-to-play game, and for good reason: it’s basically a ton of games rolled into one. It launched as basically Gears of War’s horde mode with additional building mechanics, before pivoting quickly to a battle royale when PUBG took off. Smart move.

Since then, it’s introduced a wide variety of new modes, from a LEGO-themed builder, to racing, and even a Guitar Hero-style mode. The best mode, for our money, is battle royale without building though. It’s so clean and fun.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of what Fortnite offers, so go ahead and check it all out for yourself. Grab it for free on Epic Games.

Fall Guys | Mediatonic | Epic Games / PlayStation / Switch / Xbox

Ah, Fall Guys. Alongside Among Us, it got us all through lockdown thanks to its fun and breezy Takeshi’s Castle-like battle royale shenanigans. It’s basically a game show you can play at any time with your friends. It’s broken down into numerous rounds, with each providing a specific platforming challenge. Reach the end, survive, or catch the thing to win.

Only one player gets the crown at the end, so the stakes are high, but it never feels stressful or frustrating. Look at it: it’s far too adorable to upset anyone. It’s also a very free-to-play friendly experience, with only cosmetics to buy. You can also earn a lot of them by just playing.

Valorant | Riot Games | Epic Games / PlayStation / Xbox

If your idea of an ultimate game is League of Legends mixed with Counter-Strike, then why haven’t you played Valorant yet? You pick a hero, with its own unique abilities and play style, then head out into a tactical 5v5 match. Much like in Counter-Strike, you take turns attacking your opponent or defending your space. Oh, and you only get one life per round,

The gunplay is very much Counter-Strike with a more colourful skin. It’s pinpoint accurate and incredibly rewarding to master. You also need to learn the maps in just as fine detail if you want to succeed in the long run.

Genshin Impact | HoYoverse | Epic Games / PlayStation / App Store / Google Play

Genshin Impact picked up the mantle of ‘next big thing’ from Fortnite the moment it arrived on the scene. That’s surprising for a game that was almost written off as a mere Breath of the Wild clone when it was announced, but it turned out to be so much more than that.

Sure, it does borrow a lot from BotW: gliding, the stamina system, a beautiful open world, but the combat system is a heck of a lot deeper. You can bring up to four characters into battle with you, swapping them on the fly depending on your elemental need at the time, or to pull off a combo.

Collecting characters is almost as addictive as Pokémon cards from the 90s too, and the pity system it introduced made every other gacha feel predatory in comparison. You don’t need any individual character in Genshin, but you sure as heck want to collect them all.

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