Time and time again, Xbox Game Pass has proven to be a wonderful subscription service for both Xbox and PC players. Its catalog is always rich with diverse titles, and it’s exciting to look forward to high-profile, first-party games that will arrive on Game Pass day one.
Game Pass may not have everything players have in their backlog, and not all Xbox users may want to spend money on a subscription service if they can play certain games for free anyway.
Of course, Xbox users don’t need a Game Pass subscription to play every game for free. And, as it would turn out, some of the best free Xbox games don’t require Game Pass at all, such as Fortnite, Warframe, and Marvel Rivals.
Fortnite
Developed and Published by Epic Games
Fortnite needs no introduction nor hype regarding how immense its popularity is as a battle royale game, let alone an epicenter of popular culture and entertainment. As free-to-play games go, it’s unlikely that any will eclipse Fortnite for the foreseeable future in terms of the licensed IP crossovers it boasts.
Fortnite
- Released
-
September 26, 2017
- ESRB
-
T for Teen – Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 5
Zenless Zone Zero
Developed and Published by miHoYo
Continuing its domination in the free-to-play gacha game sphere, miHoYo’s Zenless Zone Zero rewrites the book yet again. With different gameplay and drastic improvements compared to other miHoYo games, Zenless Zone Zero remains distinguished apart from how homogenous it and other miHoYo gacha games could all appear on the surface to third-party observers who aren’t familiar with the genre.
Zenless Zone Zero
- Released
-
July 4, 2024
- ESRB
-
T (Teen) – Suggestive Themes & Violence
- Developer(s)
-
HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Engine
-
Unity
Overwatch 2
Developed and Published by Blizzard Entertainment
Despite Marvel Rivals reheating its nachos and debatably being the more popular of the two, Overwatch 2 sustains its playerbase as a free-to-play hero shooter. In fact, anyone who has bounced off of Marvel Rivals yet thoroughly enjoyed Overwatch may comfortably find Overwatch 2 to be the hero shooter they desired all along, especially with all the changes that have been made to the sequel since it was released.
Overwatch 2
6/10
- Released
-
August 10, 2023
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
Apex Legends
Developed by Respawn Entertainment, Published by EA
Apex Legends is a thrilling and confident installment in the hero-shooter battle royale genre. Developed by none other than Titanfall’s Respawn, fans can expect fluid movement systems and excellent gunplay in this free-to-play game. Since Titanfall is more or less confirmed to be on ice, Apex Legends may be the closest that series’ fanbase gets to a new game.
Apex Legends
9/10
- Released
-
February 4, 2019
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Publisher(s)
-
Electronic Arts
- Engine
-
Source on console/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile
Warframe
Developed and Published by Digital Extremes
Warframe has it all as a free-to-play, semi-open-world, third-person parkour/looter shooter action-RPG. Still in an open beta after 12 years, Warframe’s latest major update, The Old Peace, is available now and as of December 10.
Warframe
- Released
-
March 25, 2013
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Digital Extremes
- Publisher(s)
-
Digital Extremes
- Engine
-
Evolution Engine
Rocket League
Developed and Published by Psyonix
Rocket League is fairly unique as a football/soccer-esque game played in various vehicles. Its premise is palatable, and its core loop is quick enough that Rocket League’s nature as a free-to-play game is exceptional, much less positively addictive, meaning that it doesn’t have to be a free-to-play game that players invest all their time into in order to gain a fruitful or productive experience.
The Finals
Developed and Published by Embark Studios
What helps The Finals stand out as a free-to-play shooter is how dynamic it is. The Finals’ team-based shooter gameplay, especially mixed with adaptive environmental destruction, makes for a refreshing PvP experience.
The Finals
- Released
-
December 8, 2023
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Embark Studios
- Publisher(s)
-
Embark Studios
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer
PUBG: Battlegrounds
Developed by PUBG Studios, Published by Krafton, Microsoft Studios, Tencent Games, and Kakao Games
PUBG: Battlegrounds may pale in comparison to larger-than-life games such as Fortnite. However, it’d be foolish for fans of the battle royale genre to overlook PUBG: Battlegrounds as a hallmark title in the free-to-play space since it indeed became free to play in 2022.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
- Released
-
March 23, 2017
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
PUBG Corporation
- Publisher(s)
-
PUBG Corporation
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer
Path of Exile 2
Developed and Published by Grinding Gear Games
Path of Exile 2 is a tremendously exciting sequel, but there is an odd ‘catch’ to it actually being “free-to-play.” To be clear, Path of Exile 2 isn’t currently free to play, but it has been and eventually will be, too.
A dungeon-crawling action-RPG contemporary to the likes of Diablo 4, Path of Exile 2 is still in its paid early access period, but earlier this month had a free-to-play weekend between December 12–15 to celebrate The Last of the Druids. When it fully launches, however, it will also be free to play.
Path of Exile II
- Released
-
December 6, 2024
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
-
Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Grinding Gear Games
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Marvel Rivals
Developed and Published by NetEase Games
Marvel Rivals’ first anniversary was celebrated recently, and it was announced at The Game Awards 2025 that Deadpool will be arriving in Season 6, Night at the Museum, on January 16. So, while Marvel Rivals is already packed to the brim with free-to-play content, there is always more to look forward to with brand-new playable characters being released every month.
Marvel Rivals is frothing at the mouth with anniversary events at the moment, and with a new character just added—X-Men’s Rogue—there has never been a better time to hop into this free-to-play hero-shooter, even if some FOMO may come attached with all the battle passes the game has offered thus far.
Marvel Rivals
8/10
- Released
-
December 6, 2024
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Violence
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 5
