These Incredible Free Steam Games Deliver Hundreds Of Hours Of Fun Without Costing Anything At All

We all know there are excellent video games out there waiting to be discovered and added to your Steam library, but though there's definitely merit to grabbing some of the triple-A titles from the biggest studios or some of the heartfelt indie titles in just about every genre, some of our favorite Steam games were free to download.

In this list, we're picking out the best games that are free on Steam as of thre time we're publishing this list at the end of June 2026. There's still half a year left yet, but these freebies will last you forever.

Counter-Strike 2

Genre

FPS

Developer

Valve Corporation

Valve has always seemed to know what it's doing when it comes to first-person shooter titles, and the sequel to the original Counter-Strike is certainly no exception. The previous game was pretty well-loved on older-gen consoles, and the 2023 sequel sought to bring the classic gameplay to a modern age.

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Team up with to play as either Terrorists or Counter-Terrorists and duke it out in an all-out war with a variety of weapons. Seek to eliminate the other team's players in either game mode: bomb diffusal or hostage rescue, depending on your team size and objectives desires.

Marvel Rivals

Genre

Hero Shooter

Developer

NetEase Games

If you just can't get enough of your favorite heroes and villains from the Marvel series of comics, shows, and movies, then you'll want to check out Marvel Rivals, an extraordinarilly influential hero shooter with an ever-expanding roster of all your comic book faves.

Team up with five other players and divide team roles well, dropping into a Marvel universe setting and escorting some kind of payload to a final destination, all the while fending off the players on the other team trying to do much the same thing. More heroes release constantly, too, meaning you'll hardly ever fall short on things to do with the MCU.

Warframe

Genre

ARPG, Shooter

Developer

Digital Extremes

Warframe is a lot of genres of games folded into one: it's a shooter, sure, but it's also an RPG, a stealth game, and so much more! Take on the role of one of the ancient warrior caste known as the Tenno and choose a faction to side with in this far-future solar system world.

You'll be sent on all kinds of missions with your Warframe, crossing open-world areas and procedurally-generated levels alike as you improve your skills and stats. You can even indulge in the PvP sections once you're feeling confident in trying your hand at multiplayer with this 2013 hit!

Destiny 2

Genre

FPS

Developer

Bungie

After the original Destiny and its expansions finished, the sequel launched in 2017 to absolutely massive aclaim. Though originally a full-priced game on launch, you'll find it on most subscription services these days, Steam included, only increasing the reach of this classic first-person shooter title.

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There's truly no shortage of content in this hit FPS game, with options for PvE and PvP to suit any playstyle. Check out story missions if you're feeling a solo experience, or try dungeons, raids, and military strikes if multiplayer seems more your speed.

War Thunder

Genre

Vehicular Combat

Developer

Gaijin Entertainment

What began as something of an April Fool's joke from Gaijin Entertainment back in 2013 was formally announced to be a real title, and War Thunder launched in August of that year to a sustained amount of love from fans of vehicular combat titles.

The game has long remained atop the list of free Steam games, and the player count on it remains steady even almost 13 years after its launch. You'll engage in all kinds of battles between land, air, and sea, with access to military vehicles and weaponry from various points in history to tinker with and master.

Apex Legends

Genre

Battle Royale, Shooter, Team Deathmatch

Developer

Respawn Entertainment

This classic battle royale shooter game first launched back in 2019 during the height of the battle royale fanaticism in game development, bringing a shooter-based spin-off to the Titanfall series in the same universe as the Respawn Entertainment classic.

You'll take on the role of one of several Legends, each with their own unique abiltiies and perks that can be of use to you and your team on the battlefield. You could even opt to try the team deathmatch option to pair up with friends to try and dispatch the other team in the Arena.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Genre

Shooter

Developer

Ubisoft

This is hardly the first title in the Rainbow Six series overall, but it remains the most popular one in terms of both player count and downloads as a free game on Steam! This action-packed tactical shooter stays at the top of the list for good reason, with plenty of attention paid to gameplay balance anbd atmosphere alike.

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You'll almost never have a moment to relax, what with the game's development team working closely alongside real-life military combat experts from around the world to create its situations and battlefronts. Good luck out there!

Wuthering Waves

Genre

Gacha, ARPG

Developer

Kuro Games

There are plenty of great gacha games out there that are friendly enough in a F2P manner, but Wuthering Waves is easily the best free game on Steam in the genre. Inspired by the harsh environmental world in Death Stranding, this open-world ARPG remains a hit for its gameplay mechanics and generous in-game rewards.

Play as Rover and venture out with your team of Resonators, teammates that can be swapped out and leveled up as you pull successively better ones from the game's gacha. It's still receiving updates, with new updates dropping every few weeks between full version updates to bring major changes once or twice each year.

Dota 2

Genre

MOBA

Developer

Valve

With itsa acronym standing for "Defense of the Ancients" and its concept spawning from a Warcraft mod, DotA has been a hit with multiplayer online battle arena fans around the world since the 2000s and continues to be today, enjoying quiet a large following when it comes to the world of esports.

You'll join a team of five players and compete against your opponents in a real-time strategy battle style, choosing from over 100 characters with unique designs and stats. You'll find no shortage of game types in this hit MOBA title, and you can enjoy them to your heart's content with the game available for free on Steam.

The Sims 4

Genre

Life Simulation

Developer

Electronic Arts

More than a decade after its release in 2014 and with EA saying there's no plan to launch The Sims 5 anytime soon, having the base game for The Sims 4 available for free on Steam is no small blessing! Who could say no to a chance to "play with life," especially when that chance comes for free?

Create any characters you'd like and play with the digital dollhouse of your dreams. There are dozens of content packs available as paid DLC for the game by now, adding everything from education to royalty to outdoor activities, but if you're looking for a fun, free Steam game, you can't go wrong with the latest game from the series that became synonymous with its simulation genre.

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