What Is Epic Games and How Do You Get Its Free Games?

Epic Games is the company behind the Epic Games Store, a digital storefront and PC launcher that competes with Steam. Its best-known free-game feature is a rotating giveaway: roughly every week, one or more games are available to claim at no cost, and once claimed they stay in your library permanently. To get them you need a free Epic account and the Epic Games Store launcher (or the store website) — then you claim each offer before its deadline. The main things that trip people up are region restrictions, missing a claim window, and mistaking third-party giveaway sites for the official store.

Epic Games Store vs. Steam: what actually differs

Both are PC storefronts and launchers, but they work differently enough that it helps to know which is which.

The practical takeaway: a game claimed on Epic does not appear in your Steam library, and vice versa. If you play across both, expect two launchers and two libraries.

How the weekly free game offer works

The mechanism is simple but time-bound:

1. A new offer goes live on a set schedule (historically weekly, with occasional daily runs during special events).
2. You claim it by clicking the "Get" button on the store page while signed in.
3. The offer expires at a stated date and time.
4. Claimed games stay in your account — you can install them later, even after the offer ends.

The critical detail is step 2: you must claim during the window. A game that was free last week is not free this week, and there is no retroactive claiming.

Steps to create an account and claim your first free game

1. Create an Epic account. Go to the official Epic Games site and sign up with an email address or a supported third-party login. Verify your email if prompted.
2. Install the launcher (optional but recommended). Download the Epic Games Store launcher for your platform, or just use the store in a browser — claiming works either way.
3. Sign in to the store with your new account.
4. Open the Free Games section. The store surfaces the current giveaway prominently; you can also browse to it directly.
5. Click "Get" on the offer, then complete the checkout at a $0 total. This is the step that actually adds the game to your library.
6. Verify it worked. Check your Library — the title should appear there, not just on the store page.
7. Install whenever you want. There is no requirement to download it during the free period.

Expected result: the game shows in your Epic library and remains playable after the giveaway ends.

Common problems when claiming

• Region limits. Some giveaways are restricted by country, and the store may show a different offer or none at all depending on where your account is set.
• Expired offer. If the countdown hit zero, the "Get" button is gone. There is no workaround.
• Account or payment-method prompts. Even at $0, checkout can ask for account confirmation; make sure you are signed into the correct account.
• Two-factor or login issues. If you cannot sign in, you cannot claim — resolve account access before the deadline, not after.
• Launcher vs. browser confusion. Claiming in a browser works, but you still need the launcher to install and play most titles.

Telling official Epic offers from third-party giveaway sites

Community sites that aggregate free games — like GrabFreeGames, which lists giveaways such as "The Descendant EP 1 - Free on Steam" alongside raffles ending soon — are useful for discovery, but they are not the source of the offer. The distinction matters:

• Official Epic giveaways are claimed on the Epic Games Store itself, tied to your Epic account, and permanent once claimed.
• Third-party giveaway sites may list Epic offers, run their own raffles (the GrabFreeGames page shows entries and end times for Steam key raffles), or point to other stores entirely.
• A listing is not a claim. Seeing a game on an aggregator does not put it in your library — you still complete the claim on the store that owns the offer.

A quick rule: if the page is not the Epic Games Store and you are not signed into your Epic account there, you are browsing, not claiming.

Quick decision guide

• Want permanent free games with minimal effort? Claim the Epic weekly offer each cycle and let them sit in your library.
• Want to discover offers across stores? Use an aggregator for leads, then claim on the official store.
• Missed a giveaway? It is gone — wait for the next cycle rather than looking for a workaround.
• Unsure if an offer is real? Check whether the claim happens on the official store tied to your account.