Epic Games, fresh off hundreds of layoffs earlier in the year, is giving away 17 free games for the holiday season on the Epic Games Store, according to leaks.
The first of the freebies is a large addition to Destiny 2, a game by Bungie who also laid off over a hundred employees, by way of three of its DLC expansions: Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and The Witch Queen.
How can Epic Games afford to give away all of these games for free? Well, in 2021, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney posted on Twitter/X that giving away droves of games for free “has proven to be a fantastic success in reaching gamers with great games and a fantastic investment into growing the business.” The growing business has cost many their jobs this year, unfortunately.
It’s a really solid deal for gamers, though, who get access to a bunch of games for the cost of nothing and can then also use their free social media pages to harass game developers who are likely overworked and underpaid and maybe even on the chopping block as well. There’s no better way to spend the holiday season!
Destiny 2’s base game and its paltry offerings are now free-to-play, but Legacy Collection is currently priced at $60 on the store, so it’s a decent deal for those looking to catch up on some older content.
This collection will help players catch up to the Destiny 2 storyline until February when Lightfall expansion is released. The game’s newest and final expansion in the “light and darkness” saga, The Final Shape, was recently delayed to June amid dozens of layoffs at Bungie.
The Epic Games Store generously gives developers an 88/12 split of revenue, and between that, the free games, and purchasing exclusivity, the store has yet to become profitable, according to recent court documents.
