Summary

• Many well-known games, such as League of Legends, The Sims 4, and Rocket League are all free-to-play with optional in-game purchases.
• Many free games offer cosmetic microtransactions or battle passes for additional content and rewards.
• The gaming industry trend towards live-service games has made popular titles like these accessible to a wider audience.

Playing video games can often become an expensive hobby, but many incredible PC games are free to enjoy when the budget is tight. These aren't just demos or small, unknown titles either, but can include some of the biggest names in gaming. Generally, these have extra items that can be purchased within the game, whether cosmetic microtransactions, DLCs, expansions, or season passes. After all, the developers do need to make some money, and these games can all be happily enjoyed without spending a dime.

In recent years, there has been a shift in the gaming industry towards many games offering a live-service approach with seasonal content passes that players can purchase, or else simply having a lot of microtransactions or paid content available to go along with the game. Though this can sometimes be a bit of a frustration, it also creates an atmosphere where many large, popular games can be played for free, as long as a person has enough self-control. Here are some of the best and most popular games available on PC for free right now.

10 Rocket League (2015)

Vehicular Soccer

Rocket League has a Metacritic score of 86 and truly is in a league of its own, as it is not exactly a sports game but also not really a driving game. This arcade-style soccer game with cars lets players race colorful vehicles around an arena or field trying to direct a massive ball into the opposite team's goal. For some, the game can be a serious sport-driven form of entertainment, while others may just enjoy the humor of attempting to control the cars and ball in a chaotic environment. Rocket League went free-to-play in 2020 after developer Psyonix was acquired by Epic Games.

9 Counter-Strike 2 (2023)

Tactical First-Person Shooter

The Counter-Strike series has many games available, but none have had as much of an impact as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which was released in 2012. The game has continued over the years to be so beloved that in 2023 it was updated and re-released as Counter-Strike 2, offering new features and updates. This new version has a score of 82 on Metacritic and is free for everyone. Optional microtransactions for in-game items and content are available for purchase.

8 Genshin Impact (2020)

Action Roleplaying Gacha Game

For a massive open-world anime-style RPG with an action-based battle system, plenty of magic, and quirky and fun characters, Genshin Impact is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a new free game to try out. It was originally launched in 2020 and has continued to receive frequent updates with new content leading it to have a Metacritic score of 80 despite being the victim of review bombing. Genshin Impact is a live-service game with in-game purchases, seasonal battle pass events, and gacha mechanics.

7 Path Of Exile (2013)

Action Roleplaying Game, Dungeon Crawler

Path of Exile is a dungeon crawler in a dark fantasy world known as Wraeclast and has a Metacritic score of 86. The game is free-to-play with cosmetic microtransactions that do not affect the gameplay itself, therefore avoiding any pay-to-win possibilities. Players in Path of Exile can explore a massive ARPG with plenty of loot to collect and enemies to plow down. It is an online-only game, and even though Path of Exile 2 is currently in development, the original game continues to receive updates with new expansion content.

6 Apex Legends (2019)

Battle Royale Hero Shooter

Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale shooter game, where players can take on the role of one of many unique characters with their own sets of skills, and try to survive the longest. It offers several different types of matches in addition to the 60-person Battle Royale match, including limited-time modes such as Mixtape, Team Deathmatch, and more. The massive shooter has a Metacritic score of 89 and offers a seasonal battle pass with many rewards including emotes, weapon skins, character skins, and more.

5 DOTA 2 (2013)

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena

DOTA 2 has been a mainstay for multiplayer gaming for over a decade now, with an impressive Metacritic score of 90. Originally designed as a mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, its popularity led to it becoming a separate game. Two teams of five players each compete against each other by defending their base while trying to conquer the opposing team's base. The game is free for everyone but operates with a seasonal Battle Pass that players can purchase to be able to earn new in-game items as rewards for challenges.

4 Destiny 2 (2017)

Online First-Person Shooter

For those looking for a shooter with more of a sci-fi feel, Destiny 2 is an online first-person shooter where players take on the role of a Guardian, one of the protectors of Earth's last safe city against alien races. Originally, Destiny 2 was a pay-to-play game, but then transitioned to free-to-play as a live-service game offering regular battle pass content available as an optional purchase. Despite facing some all-too-familiar review bombing, Destiny 2 is a very popular FPS and still holds a Metacritic score of 85.

3 League Of Legends (2009)

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena

League of Legends (LoL) has long been a familiar title in the gaming world, including being one of the most popular esports games. LoL has always been free-to-play, even when it first was released in 2009, and makes its money off of optional microtransactions which include new champions, character skins, and other cosmetics. Its gameplay is a classic MOBA with teams of five facing off against each other to protect their base while taking control of the enemy's.

The game received very positive reviews for its gameplay, but the community of players in the game has become well-known for being a negative crowd that has made a poor environment unless players are able to enjoy the game with friends that they know. This has led to a lowered Metacritic score of 78, despite the game itself seeing longterm success.

2 The Sims 4 (2014)

Social Simulation

The social simulation phenomenon, The Sims, has been a massive success ever since its original release in 2000. The Sims 4 recently broke the mold by going free-to-play, although its numerous expansions, Stuff Packs, Kits, and more all still come at a price. That said, there are many free mods for the game, although anyone looking into this option needs to be careful to stick to trustworthy download sites and ensure that the mods do not require paid expansions to be used.

1 Fortnite (2017)

Battle Royale