Honestly, looking back at the Epic Games holiday giveaway 2024, it’s funny how much of the conversation was dominated by people complaining about "not enough AAA titles." We’ve basically become spoiled. It’s a weird reality where getting sixteen free games—literally zero dollars—somehow isn't enough for the internet. But if you actually dig into the list from this past December, you’ll see it was one of the most strategically curated runs Tim Sweeney’s crew has ever put together.
Free games. Every day.
For about two weeks, the routine was the same: log in at 11 AM ET, click the mystery tile, and add a permanent license to your library. If you missed a day, you were out of luck. That’s the "epic" FOMO they’ve mastered. While the 2023 season had the heavy hitters like Death Stranding, 2024 leaned hard into "vibes" and indie darlings that actually respect your time.
The Epic Games Holiday Giveaway 2024 List: More Than Just Fillers
Most people expected Red Dead Redemption 2 or some impossible Ubisoft blockbuster. Instead, we got a masterclass in variety. The giveaway kicked off with The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, which was a massive grab for anyone into survival crafting.
Then things got weird—in a good way.
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We saw Vampire Survivors drop on December 19th. People laughed until they realized they’d just spent six hours straight dodging pixelated bats. It’s a digital drug. Following that, we had Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles, TerraTech, and Wizard of Legend. By the time we hit the "big" days, the library was already looking pretty stacked with high-quality, high-replayability stuff.
One of the real standouts that people slept on was Dredge on Christmas Eve. It’s a fishing game, but also a cosmic horror game? It’s basically "What if Cthulhu owned a Bass Pro Shop?" It was the perfect cozy-but-creepy title for a winter night.
Why Everyone Got Mad on December 23rd
You’ve probably seen the Reddit threads. December 23rd was a bit of a PR disaster for Epic. They offered the "Legendary Status" for Dark and Darker. The problem? Dark and Darker is already free-to-play.
Basically, they gave away a DLC/Upgrade instead of a full standalone game.
People felt cheated. They felt like the "Mystery Game" slot was wasted on something that required a separate download. Honestly, the backlash was a bit much, but it did highlight a shift in Epic's strategy. They aren't just giving away old games anymore; they're trying to funnel people into live-service ecosystems.
The Heavy Hitters: Control, Ghostrunner 2, and Sifu
If you held out for the big names, the week between Christmas and New Year’s delivered.
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- December 25 (Control): Yeah, they’ve given it away before. But for the new folks who just got a PC for Christmas, it’s an essential.
- December 26 (Ghostrunner 2): Pure adrenaline. This was a relatively fresh release to be giving away for free, and it made the whole giveaway feel "premium" again.
- December 31 (Sifu): The grand finale. One of the best martial arts games ever made.
There was a rumor that a "Redacted" game on December 30th was going to be something massive, but it ended up being a bit of a mystery-box situation that divided the community. Still, finishing the year with Sifu and then rolling into Kingdom Come: Deliverance on January 1st was a solid 1-2 punch.
The Missing Wrapping Paper Controversy
One tiny detail that drove the hardcore fans crazy: the wrapping paper. In previous years, the teaser image for the next day's game had "hints" hidden in the art—a small icon or a specific color scheme.
In 2024, they simplified it.
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The mystery tiles were less "detective work" and more "just wait and see." Some loved the genuine surprise, but a huge part of the community missed the 24-hour speculation window where everyone tried to guess if a silhouette of a sword meant Skyrim or Shovel Knight.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Epic Library
If you managed to snag these games, don’t let them sit in "Library Purgatory" forever. Here is how you should actually tackle that 2024 haul:
- Play Dredge First: It’s short, atmospheric, and doesn't require a 50-hour commitment. It’s the best "palate cleanser" game in the bunch.
- Verify your Dark and Darker Status: If you claimed the December 23rd gift, make sure you actually downloaded the base game so the Legendary Status actually applies to your account. It’s not automatic if you don’t "own" the free base version.
- Benchmark with Ghostrunner 2: If you have a new GPU, this is the game to test your ray-tracing settings. It looks incredible and runs surprisingly well.
- Set Up 2FA: Seriously. If you have a library worth hundreds of dollars now, turn on Two-Factor Authentication. Epic accounts are prime targets for credential stuffing.
- Check for DLC sales: Most of these freebies (like Kingdom Come or Control) were the standard editions. The "Giveaway Hangover" usually involves a deep discount on the DLCs right after the event ends, so keep an eye on your wishlist.
The Epic Games holiday giveaway 2024 proved that the "Free Game" era isn't over yet, even if the titles are getting a little more experimental. Whether you’re a fan of the indie pivots or you’re still waiting for that elusive GTA V repeat, your library is objectively better now than it was in November. Now, actually go play them.