2024 was an absolutely stellar new year for free to play gaming. We saw a bunch of excellent new titles arrive, like Throne and Liberty, Marvel Rivals, and Zenless Zone Zero.

It was also the year that the best free games went from strength-to-strength. Fortnite transcended being a video game and became more of a platform, OSRS perfected its Leagues format, and PUBG absolutely dominated the esports scene with some nifty improvements.

But it’s time to look forward to 2025. Let’s take a look at the best upcoming free games that you can play in the coming months.

Fragpunk Shard Card.

FragPunk

FragPunk is a bit of a genre mishmash, combining the fast-paced shootery of Call of Duty with a hero shooter like Overwatch.

The secret sauce behind this one is its Shard Cards system, which provide genuinely game-changing functionality within a traditional first person shooting match.

FragPunk launches on March 26, 2025.

Meta Soulmate

Meta Soulmate entered early access back in November, but still has a ways to go before it enters full release status later in 2025.

Less of a game and more a build-your-own-friend, Meta Soulmate sees you create your own virtual buddy with a wealth of different customisation options. It might be no exaggeration to describe this as the most detailed character generator ever created.

What do you do with this friend? Well, anything you want really. Turn them into a Vtuber, develop their unique personality, or just play dress ’em up. You can create your own outfits in PhotoShop and upload them into the game, helping you show off your skills.

Meta Soulmate plans to introduce a variety of new modes as the game develops too, so why not get in on the ground floor? Wishlist it right now on Steam.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 arrived with a bang in early access back in November, and has absolutely dominated. the Steam charts ever since. It should arrive in full launch later in 2025.

It doesn’t look set to break the mould, instead expanding on the Diablo 2-like experience of its predecessor. Expect prettier visuals, a new story that takes place years after the original, and a whole host of enemies to destroy.

There are 12 classes this time around, each of which has three specialisations. That’s a heck of a lot of theory crafting – especially when you consider that the iconic skill tree and gem systems are making a return. Combine that with a wide variety of equipment, and you can feasibly create a character that’s unlike any else.

Wishlist it right now on Steam.

Splitgate 2

Splitgate vanished almost as quickly as it exploded in popularity back in 2019. That’s a problem the team at 1047 Games is keen to remedy with the sequel.

It all begins with a total visual overhaul, which swaps the dark and drab colour palette for bright pinks, bold blues, and everything in between. It also now plays more like a futuristic Roman coliseum, with an audience watching your efforts as you zip around the arena, taking out your opponents.

Fundamentally, it’s still Portal meets Halo though, so don’t expect the gameplay to have changed too much. Go ahead and wishlist it on Steam right now.

Delta Force

Delta Force entered beta late in 2024, but is set to launch properly in 2025.

The series has been going for over 25 years now, and this entry is set to be the most visually impressive yet. It’s basically Battlefield meets Call of Duty meets Escape From Tarkov, thanks to its range of different modes.

We’ll apparently get to see the Extraction and Large-scale PVP modes during Steam Next Fest in October, when we’ll hopefully get an idea of some dates.

In the meantime, wish list it right now on Steam.

Perfect New World

Back when World of Warcraft was the biggest name in gaming, a ton of copycat free-to-play MMORPGs stepped onto the scene. One of the biggest of these was Perfect World, which introduced exciting action-packed combat, flying mounts, and large scale PvP. It was kind of a big deal.

Now, almost 20 years later, we’re getting a sequel. It looks set to offer similar gameplay experiences, including deep character customisation, action-packed combat, and a massive open world to explore but rebuilt for a modern audience. Think stunning visuals, an absence of loading screens, and much deeper customersation.

We have no idea when this one will arrive, but we’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, wish list it on Steam.

Deadlock

Deadlock is still something of an open secret. It’s a hero shooter in development over at Valve, who are keeping incredibly tight-lipped. Those lucky few who have managed to play it so far speak of a decent competitor to Overwatch 2.

Wish list it right now on Steam to learn more as soon as Valve is ready to actually talk about it.

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