Gaming can be an expensive hobby, especially if you buy the most powerful PC, the latest gaming consoles, and a bunch of games to go with them. But playing video games doesn’t need to break the bank. The free to play gaming market is bigger than ever, and you can now play a wide variety of high-quality games without having to dish out a ton of money first.
Popular games that are free to play
More and more gaming companies have embraced the free to play business model in recent years. The F2P model has been around for a long time, but it’s only in recent years that companies have figured out how to crack the code and make serious money with it. Games that adopt the F2P model are completely free to play, but players can choose to buy a battle pass, skins or other items to enhance the experience.
Fortnite and League of Legends are examples of games that thrive in the free to play category. Both of these games built their player base on the F2P model but make billions of dollars in revenue each year. Many players love to spend a few dollars to unlock a specific skin or weapon that will make them stand out from the crowd, and it is possible to spend thousands of dollars in some of the biggest free games.
Obviously, the best part about free to play games is that you don’t need to spend any money to participate. In most cases, you won’t miss out on any of the content, except for a few cosmic items. The top free games can give you endless entertainment, and you will never have to open your wallet and spend your hard-earned money to have fun. At most casinos, you can even play online slot machines in practice mode. You won’t be able to win real money, but you won’t lose your own money, either.
Some games adopt the F2P model years after release. Activision’s popular looter-shooter Destiny 2 went free to play in 2019. Rocket League, the game that allows you to play football with a car, underwent the same process last year. There’s a free game for every type of player out there. Check out some of the most popular F2P titles in 2021 below.
- Shooters: Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, Rogue Legacy, World of Tanks, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- RPGs and MMOs: Destiny 2, Warframe, Path of Exile, Destiny 2, Star Wars the Old Republic
- MOBAs: League of Legends, Dota 2, Smite, Paladins
- Driving games and other: Rocket League, Trackmania Nations, Brawlhalla
Are free games “pay to win?”
Video games are extremely expensive to develop, which is why most games cost somewhere between $60 and $70 each. When a game publisher creates or funds a free to play game, the objective is to make a profit by selling various in-game items and content to the players. Fortunately, most modern F2P games only sell items that are purely cosmetic, such as player models, booster packs and weapon skins. This means that players who choose to spend money don’t get a competitive advantage over players who don’t.
