Although the free-to-play group gets a bad rap, there are plenty of games that offer dozens (and even hundreds) of hours of gameplay without asking for a dime.
The best free games offer players a lot of content without charging anything, with some ethical microtransactions for super-fans. We’ve rounded up the best free-to-play games that hold true to that, including free FPS games and MMORPGs. With everything from genre-bending games like Frog Fractions to open-world JRPGs like Genshin Impact, there’s something for everyone. Although the free-to-play group gets a bad rap, there are plenty of games that offer dozens (and even hundreds) of hours of gameplay without asking for a dime. There are a few options on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, but most of the titles below are free PC games. Thankfully, quite a few of them are from a few years ago, so you should be able to run them without a full gaming PC. Cheap isn’t necessarily free, but if you’re looking for steep discounts on consoles and accessories, take a look at the best gaming deals available now. While you will either need a Game Pass subscription or a retail copy of Halo Infinite to play the game’s campaign, the multiplayer component of the Microsoft-exclusive shooter is completely free to play on PC and all Xbox platforms. This latest Halo game from developer 343 takes the game back to the type of tactical, positioning, and skill-based multiplayer that made the older games so beloved. Throwing in some more modern mechanics, like sprint, plus a host of new tools like the incredibly fun grappling hook, this is the perfect way to get back into the Halo experience. Being free to play but also fully cross-platform play means that Halo Infinite ‘s player base is incredibly healthy already. You won’t have any trouble finding a match in any of the major game modes, of which all the old favorites are making a return. The battle pass offers tons of reasons to get invested, but even without it the core game just feels so solid and addictive you will want to keep going match after match. Once forge mode gets introduced later in the game’s life, the amount of content will essentially be… well … infinite. Splitgate has quickly jumped from indie darling to mainstream mainstay. In fact, the game grew so rapidly that the developer struggled to get enough servers online to handle the influx of players. As for how it plays, imagine the offspring of Portal and Halo — and you’re not far off the mark. Splitgate is unabashedly old-school, with fans of the original Halo loving its “retro” mentality. The biggest wrinkle to the FPS is the ability to open portals and quickly move about the map. If you’re trying to be sneaky, you can also use them to snipe players in completely different locations before closing your portal and fleeing to safety. Destiny 2 is the poster child for the games-as-a-service model, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game. Far from it, in fact — Destiny 2 is a sprawling online shooter with ultra-tight gun mechanics and some of the most intense combat encounters in gaming. Although originally released for a full $60, Destiny 2 is now one of the best free-to-play games available. Even better, Bungie overhauled the leveling system once the game’s price fell away, so you don’t need to worry about hundreds of hours of grinding. Like a lot of games-as-a-service titles, though, Destiny 2 is what you make of it. The visuals are stunning and the mechanics are world-class, but tackling the world alone is a lonely experience — even with the best Destiny 2 weapons. It’s a game best played with friends, where the driving forces of progression are the wild experiences you’ll have during missions. If playing solo is more your speed, you can always grind matches in Destiny 2′ s Crucible PvP mode. Originally packaged inside The Orange Box in 2007, Valve’s Team Fortress 2 was an instant success in the multiplayer shooter realm. The class-based shooter with nine differentiated classes featured a slew of competitive game modes upon release, including Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and several other objective-based modes. Although more than a decade old and overshadowed by a hero shooter called Overwatch, Valve has continued to support the PC version of the game in recent years. It went free-to-play in 2011 and now supports both ranked play and casual matches. Team Fortress 2 is not only a great game today, but it’s an important part of video game history. You can enjoy the whole experience for free. If you so choose, though, you can purchase cosmetic items in-game. This year, we’ve seen two newcomers to the free-to-play shooter genre: Valorant and Crucible. The latter didn’t even survive a full launch. Valorant, thankfully, did. In short, Valorant is a competitive online shooter where you play Counter-Strike-like matches. There are two teams: One has the goal of planting the bomb (the “spike”), and the other is trying to diffuse it. On top of that, though, Valorant adds a roster of MOBA-like heroes. Valorant combines so many elements from other genres that it creates something new entirely. The game plays like CS:GO, sure, but after a few rounds, it’s clear that Valorant is operating on a different level. It’s engrossing, complex, and, best of all, free-to-play. Unfortunately, though, it’s only available on PC. A hero-shooter from the makers of Smite, Paladins: Champions of the Realm plays a lot like Overwatch. With four character classes — Front Line, Damage, Flank, and Support — and a unique card-based loadout system, Paladins manages to differentiate itself from the popular Blizzard FPS just enough to not be seen as a mere clone. The card-based loadout system adds strategic depth, giving you perks like cooldown reductions for charge weapons, all of which are customizable. Each of the three game modes — Siege, Onslaught, and team deathmatch — works well, and the maps are varied and interesting. The best part about Paladins is that it’s available on all major platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Planetside 2 ‘s massive battles make Battlefield’s spacious maps look rather tiny. This intergalactic FPS has a unique system in that everything you do affects your faction rating. Three factions duke it out to control important territories and take over needed resources. What’s most interesting about Planetside 2 is that battles can often take days, even weeks. They are simply on such a large scale that when you log off, other faction members will pick up where you left off. With a deep customization system, an intricate skill tree, and a wide array of combat scenarios, Planetside 2 rarely feels anything but fresh. Planetside 2 is available on PC and PS4. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is, really, the first proper Counter-Strike game. CS 1.6 and Source are both great, but Global Offensive is the game that has stuck, and it’s easy to see why. Everything about CS:GO is tight, from the gunplay to the map designs. It’s a proper competitive shooter, and although Valve sold it as such for a mere $14.99 for a long time, it’s now one of the best free-to-play games. “Totally” is the best way to describe it, too. Unlike most other free-to-play games, there is absolutely no advantage to spending money in CS:GO. If you’re good enough, you can play ranked matches as often as you want while staying on a level playing field. In the world of free-to-play games, that’s a feat. Runescape is one of the most iconic free-to-play games there is, and 20 years after launch, it’s still going strong. Developer Jagex has continued to update the game over the past 20 years, offering literally thousands of hours of gameplay. If you haven’t played Runescape, it’s a high-fantasy MMORPG with varied weapon types and a long list of skills to master. Questing with friends is where Runescape is at its best, but you can also take things slow and hone your farming, fishing, and cooking skills. Old School Runescape is available, too. It’s based on the 2007 build of Runescape that shot it into the limelight, featuring the same charming graphics, quests, bosses, and economy. Unlike the base game, Old School Runescape requires a monthly membership. However, you can share your membership across both versions of the game — it unlocks some exclusive skills and quests — and you can pay with either cash or Bonds that you can earn in-game. Amazon may have canceled its Lord of the Rings MMO, but there’s still Lord of the Rings Online. The game just passed its 14th anniversary, and it’s still receiving content updates. In Lord of the Rings Online, you create your own character to explore Middle-earth. You can outfit your characters in countless different ways, choosing between four races, nine classes,10 professions, and more than 1,000 skills and traits. As you play, you can take part in solo or cooperative skirmishes and explorations to gather materials to craft new gear. You can even play the role of a servant in Sauron’s army in PvMP encounters. All of that, and Lord of the Rings Online is completely free to play, no monthly fee required. Although you can play for free, the game has a VIP program that gives you access to more inventory slots, monthly points to use in the shop, and access to all quests, skirmishes, monster classes, and crafting guilds. A delightful combination of Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons, Neverwinter is a streamlined RPG with a satisfying loop. Like D&D, combat is determined by dice rolls which determine how many hits (or misses) each attack will dole out. Neverwinter has 10 PvE campaigns and a neat PvP campaign as well. A welcoming new player experience makes Neverwinter feel right at home on PS4 and Xbox One. Whether you’re into Dungeons & Dragons or not, Neverwinter is a fun experience that offers a more approachable RPG experience than many of its peers. Since 2011, DC Universe Online has offered users the ability to play as their favorite DC superheroes or even create their own. An MMORPG that quickly dropped its subscription model to go free-to-play, DC Universe Online features a series of quests across Metropolis and Gotham City. Fast-paced combat, interesting end-game raids, and surprisingly fun PvP matches make for a diverse experience across dozens of hours. Besides daily quests and new storylines, DC Universe Online still receives regular updates. If you’re into superheroes, DC Universe Online is certainly worth trying out on PS4, Xbox One, or PC. A reboot of the middling Bless Online, Bless Unleashed fixes many of its predecessor’s flaws. Combat is faster, overall performance has been improved, and the game benefits from huge graphical updates across all available platforms. The game comes with the usual MMO tropes — such as a sprawling story, hundreds of side quests, and crafting — but the main draw is that reworked, action-based combat system. Unlike tab targeting seen in most titles in the genre, Bless Unleashed requires careful timing and precision before launching your attack. You’ll also need to block and evade incoming attacks — making this one of the most active combat systems in any free-to-play game on the market. It won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but if it clicks there’s a massive world just waiting for you to explore. Albion Online went free-to-play in 2019 and never looked back. In the years since, Albion has even launched a mobile version that’s fully cross-play compatible with its PC sibling. Albion isn’t the most newcomer-friendly of titles on this list, but if you manage to break through the steep learning curve, there’s a huge reward on the other side. As a sandbox MMO, Albion doesn’t hold your hand for very long. Once you’ve battled through the tutorial, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Crafting is at the heart of the experience — in fact, the entire marketplace is practically driven by player-created gear — although PvP tends to take up the majority of players’ time. Its stylized graphics make it easy to get lost in the dangerous world, and its numbers have only grown in recent years — now is a great time to join in on the free adventure. Phantasy Star Online 2 was released in 2012, but it didn’t come to the U.S. until 2020. You play as an ARKs operative, which is an elite group of fighters that explores dangerous planets looking for a dark corruption called the Falspawn. You can choose from several unique classes to take on quests, and after leveling up a bit, you can assign another class as a sub-class to inherit special abilities. Instead of a unified world, Phantasy Star Online 2 focuses on quests. You can join a party that’s appropriate for your level to take on small missions with a limited number of other players, allowing you to easily jump into the game without dedicating a few hours. On quests, you’ll earn random loot drops. These drops give you new combat skills to use with your weapon, aiding the passive skills you can unlock in the skill tree. The game recently saw a massive rework in the form of New Genesis — which offers up improved graphics and a whole new story to explore. Although Phantasy Star Online 2 has some paid content, you can play through all of the story content for free. Like many MMOs, Star Wars: The Old Republic started as a subscription-based experience before floundering and turning free-to-play. That’s not to say The Old Republic is a bad game in the slightest. In fact, from a production value standpoint, BioWare’s The Old Republic is one of the most impressive games on this list. With excellent writing and fully voiced dialogue, lots of Star Wars lore, and differentiated storylines based on classes, The Old Republic offers a deep experience that demands to be played and revisited from multiple vantage points.
