Mechabellum, the turn-based PvP strategy game about giant mechs and combat robots, used to cost $14.99. As of September 22 that price tag is no longer a barrier: developer Game River released a brand-new Free Edition on Steam that includes most of the paid content. And if you want the whole thing with no strings attached, the full version is about to be given away on the Epic Games Store.
What the Free Edition on Steam includes
The free version isn’t a demo. It gives you access to most of what paying players get, including online battles and the brand-new co-op mode. The limits that do exist are tied mainly to progression speed, convenience and cosmetic rewards. According to Game River, Free Edition players get:
- limited access to public chat,
- less Star Expedition warehouse capacity,
- a slower acquisition rate for cosmetic rewards,
- reduced unlock speed for Tech Points.
In other words, you can play the actual game – matches, modes and progression – you just climb a bit more slowly. You can add it to your library straight from the Steam page, and the developer laid out the details in an official Steam announcement.
Mechabellum 2.0 and the new Star Expedition mode
The move to a mostly free-to-play model landed right after one of the game’s biggest updates so far. Mechabellum 2.0 went live on September 21 and brought a pile of new content, headlined by Star Expedition – a co-op roguelike mode in which you and your friends fight CPU-controlled enemies across nine planets.
Game River describes Star Expedition as its answer to players who had been asking for a mode with “no time pressure, high replayability, and the option to team up with friends.” Good news for solo players too: the mode can be played alone, which adds a lot of replay value to a game you now don’t have to pay for.
What you can actually play
- turn-based combat with a huge roster of mechs and units,
- PvP and PvE modes,
- 1v1, 2v2 and a free-for-all mode for four players,
- Survival Mode for solo progression against ever-stronger enemy armies,
- free and paid season passes (Battle Contracts),
- rankings and leaderboards.
If you’d rather follow the game long term, we collect every update in our Mechabellum coverage.
The full version is free on the Epic Games Store
Don’t want the Free Edition’s progression limits? Then watch the calendar. Starting September 24 and running through October 1, the complete version of Mechabellum is free to keep on the Epic Games Store. Claim it during that window and you own the full game – no reward caps, no slowed-down Tech Point unlocks.
Why this matters for you
Mechabellum sits at 84% positive reviews on Steam, and it has a solid track record: it entered Steam Early Access in May 2023 and hit version 1.0 in September 2024. Two years after full launch you can now try it on Steam for nothing, or grab the complete game for free on Epic for one week. If you’ve been curious about auto-battler-style mech strategy but didn’t want to spend money on it, this is the cheapest possible entry point.
FAQ
Not completely. Steam got a Free Edition that includes most of the paid content, including online battles and the new co-op mode, but it has limits on public chat, Star Expedition warehouse capacity, cosmetic reward rates and Tech Point unlock speed.
The complete version of Mechabellum is free to keep on the Epic Games Store from September 24 through October 1. Claim it within that window and it stays in your library.
Yes. Online battles are part of the Free Edition, along with the new co-op mode. Mechabellum supports 1v1, 2v2 and a four-player free-for-all.
Star Expedition is a co-op roguelike mode added in the Mechabellum 2.0 update on September 21. You fight CPU-controlled enemies across nine planets, either with friends or solo.
It was priced at $14.99. The game launched into Steam Early Access in May 2023 and reached version 1.0 in September 2024.