Steam’s giveaway calendar has bunched up in a way that rarely happens. Right now you can grab or play seven different games without paying a cent, and another five freebies are lined up across this weekend and into October. Whether you want something to sink a whole Saturday into or just want to pad out your library for later, there is plenty to click on.
The headline act is Diablo 4, which Blizzard has opened up on Steam so you can roam Sanctuary as long as the free weekend lasts. A loot-and-build ARPG is not everyone’s thing, though, so the rest of the lineup spans co-op, multiplayer, RTS and a few cosmetic extras.
Free-to-Keep: four giveaways you should claim now
Steam’s Free-to-Keep promotion works the way you would expect. Claim the item before the deadline and it stays in your library forever, even if you never launch it. Our advice is simple: click claim now, decide later. Three of the four current offers are full games, the fourth is a DLC.
- Crystal Crisis – a Tetris-style puzzler with fighting-game mechanics (until September 21 at midnight PT / September 22 at 3 am ET)
- Space Menace – a sci-fi exploration RTS (until September 23 at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET)
- Deadshot – a retro first-person shooter in the spirit of Half-Life, Doom and Quake (until September 23 at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET)
- Discharge Weapon Pack – an anniversary DLC from Techland for owners of Dying Light: The Beast (until September 24 at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET)
If you like tracking this kind of thing, we also covered a batch of permanently free games that switched to free-to-play on Steam for good.
Free weekend: four games to play until Sunday
The Free Weekend promotion is the opposite deal. You get unrestricted access for a limited window, but once the clock runs out you lose the game unless you buy it. Your progress usually carries over if you do. This weekend the focus is clearly on co-op and multiplayer.
- Diablo 4 – demonic ARPG built around loot and builds
- Sea of Thieves – pirate action-adventure sandbox
- Last Flag – multiplayer built around Capture the Flag
- Jump Space – mission-based co-op PvE sci-fi for one to four players
All four run until September 21 at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET, so you have the full weekend to try them.
Four more freebies already confirmed for October 2026
Steam’s backend sometimes lists upcoming giveaways months ahead, and four entries are already on the books for October 2026. Three of them are cosmetic DLC packs for brand-new releases, joined by one full game.
- Fireside Feelings – a narrative, dialogue-heavy cozy game
- MXGP 26 – Scrubdesignz Liveries (DLC for MXGP 26)
- Gear.Club Unlimited 3 – Gear.Club Signature Pack (DLC for Gear.Club Unlimited 3)
- Hunting Simulator 3 – Classic American Hunter Pack (DLC for Hunting Simulator 3)
Exact start dates are not pinned down yet, but you can count on them showing up at some point during the month. Anyone who wants to watch the schedule themselves can follow the upcoming free listings.
What this means for you
Nothing beyond the entries above is confirmed for either promotion at the moment, but new giveaways can appear out of nowhere at any time. The practical takeaway is to treat the two promotions differently: claim every Free-to-Keep item before its deadline because it costs you nothing, and plan your weekend around the Free Weekend titles because that access disappears on Sunday.
Looking for more to play on a budget? We reviewed The Lost Glitches, and you can browse the rest of our gaming articles for other news and guides.
FAQ
Free-to-Keep means you claim the game or DLC before the deadline and it stays in your library permanently. A free weekend gives you full access for a limited time only, and once the promotion ends you lose access unless you buy the game.
Crystal Crisis, Space Menace and Deadshot are full games, plus the Discharge Weapon Pack DLC for owners of Dying Light: The Beast. Each has its own deadline between September 21 and September 24.
No. Claiming adds the title to your Steam library, so you can download and play it whenever you want later. That is why it is worth claiming even if you have no time this weekend.
Diablo 4, Sea of Thieves, Last Flag and Jump Space are all playable until September 21 at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET.
Four Free-to-Keep entries are already listed: the cozy narrative game Fireside Feelings and cosmetic DLC packs for MXGP 26, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 and Hunting Simulator 3. Exact dates have not been announced.