Epic's free games: how claiming them works and what stays yours

Epic Games Store routinely offers a new free PC game each week. Its official support page says the weekly rotation happens Thursday at 8:00 am Pacific Time, usually with a seven-day claim window. Because Australia is many hours ahead of Pacific Time, don't assume the refresh happens on Thursday morning in Queensland.

Claiming is different from downloading

Epic says that once you've claimed a giveaway through your account, it stays in your library even after the free promotion ends. You don't have to download it immediately. What you've obtained is a digital licence associated with that account, not ownership of the game's intellectual property.

How to avoid missing the window

1. Sign in to the correct Epic account.
2. Open the official Free Games page and look for the promotional giveaway, not merely a permanently free-to-play title.
3. Check the displayed price is genuinely $0 in your region and complete the claim before the countdown ends.
4. Confirm the title appears in your library or transaction history.

What if it disappears later?

Epic's FAQ suggests checking whether you accidentally have more than one account, including separately created Google-login and email-login profiles, before assuming a licence has been lost. If it's still missing, Epic Support is the appropriate next stop.

What we won't pretend to know

Epic says its support staff don't have advance information on future weekly giveaway titles. Rumoured lists are not official announcements. GameOnCue won't publish an unverified upcoming free-game name as confirmed, and live availability always needs checking on the store.

Reminder: The free-game programme and free-to-play catalogue are different. Some free-to-play games use in-game purchases or online services. The label “Free” on a storefront isn't a complete description of every associated cost.

Corrections & editorial contact →