5 Best Free to Play Releases in 2025 & Are They Still Worth Playing in 2026?

2025 was a solid year for free-to-play game releases, with a handful of titles across various genres drawing in gamers for a solid stretch. However, many free-to-play titles often fall off quite a bit after their initial burst of interest upon release.

With 2025 being such a decent year for new free-to-play games, it can be worth considering which of them are worth still investing time into, or perhaps even trying out for the first time as a new player. Here is a summary of the absolute best free-to-play releases in 2025 and how much value both new and returning players can get out of them now, a year later.

Marvel Rivals

Well, technically, Marvel Rivals released before 2025 rolled around, entering the hero shooter space in December 2024. However, there's no doubt that from the very start of 2025 and throughout the entire year, Marvel Rivals was easily one of, if not the best, free-to-play title available.

Marvel Rivals was an almost immediate hit, having entered the hero shooter space when the biggest competitor (Overwatch) was at one of its lowest points. As a result, both hero shooter fans and those familiar with the Marvel IP absolutely flocked to the game. There were a lot of positives, too - near-immediate queue times, a very generous-sized roster on launch, full of recognizable characters that gave the game instant appeal.

Negatives were pretty minor, with the most significant issue boiling down to launch balance issues with many heroes feeling quite over-tuned. Despite this, this game had a very strong initial run full of seasonal content updates, new hero releases, and cross-platform play from the jump.

Now, is Marvel Rivals worth playing in 2026? Absolutely! While initial player numbers have dropped off quite a bit, this is normal for hero shooters, and the game has most definitely established a dedicated community of frequent players. Queue times remain significantly faster than other titles in the space, and there are very frequent content updates with new seasons, heroes, maps, and events.

The only minor negative is that there is a much, much harder learning curve between new players and those who have frequently played the game. However, as long as you're willing to put in the effort, catching up is more than achievable (especially for those who have experience with other hero shooters).

There are heaps for frequent players to enjoy, and as long as new and long-time returning players are willing to put in the effort, they will find the same enjoyment too. Most importantly, Rivals is extremely generous with earnable currencies and free unlockable skins via events. You can end up purchasing most of the same (non-limited time) skins that players would have spent real currency on just by saving up Units earned for free each event and battle pass - and it's the little things like this that matter.

Skate

Gamers around the world were exceptionally excited for the release of EA Skate, a reboot of the beloved 'Skate' franchise, and the first title in the franchise since Skate 3 all the way back in 2010. Skate is much-loved and praised for exceptionally fun gameplay, an accurate representation of skateboarding culture, a great soundtrack, and satisfying tricks and missions.

Skate was a breath of fresh air upon release, giving a fun new option where gamers could party up and shred skate parks together, complete co-op missions, and unlock cosmetics to customize their skater. It also had some pretty good songs available in the soundtrack, and some very fun skate parks with the likes of The Church and Rolling Waves. However, many players criticized the lack of content in comparison to older games, as well as microtransactions for paid items. Despite this, the game maintained a decent community for the initial stretch, keeping in mind that it was only in Early Access.

Unfortunately, EA Skate has only faced more problems as development has continued. There have been some nice updates along the way, including new tricks and some huge lighting and atmosphere improvements, but unfortunately, the negatives outweigh these positives. The most significant issue is in-game microtransactions, specifically for features that devs had previously claimed would not be pay-to-play, the launch of one of the grindiest in-game battle pass systems I've seen to date, and a general feeling from the community that they were not being valued as players and their feedback was not being taken into consideration for further improvements.

In 2026, Skate is sadly not worth playing consistently for most gamers. Much of the playerbase has dropped off quite significantly, and while content updates do still occur, they are rather minor for the most part - rotation of community parks (which have often been riddled with bugs and major layout issues), new cosmetics, and very rarely new areas to skate. It can be fun to pick up and play every now and again for a check-in session, but I can't recommend this to players looking for something for their main rotation, unless you happen to be very much into the skateboarding sandbox-style game.

SPLITGATE: Arena Reloaded

Splitgate: Arena Reloaded has those classic arena shooter vibes that so many gamers enjoy, complete with a unique portal mechanic that makes the IP stand out. The combination of portal techniques and high movement creates high skill floors, with the potential for some truly incredible plays. The game also seems to offer quite a strong nostalgia appeal towards those who grew up on Halo, with many referring to the formula as 'Halo with portals'.

However, Splitgate has always seemingly had a smaller player base in comparison to other big-name shooters in the space. There is also quite a steep learning curve due to the mechanical skill the game involves, which can make the title a tough one to break into for the first time.

As for whether Splitgate: Arena Reloaded is worth playing in 2026, the answer is somewhat uncertain. For players who enjoy games with portal mechanics and high skill expression, it can still prove to be a valuable pick. However, there are also things to consider, such as a smaller matchmaking pool due to a generally lower player base, some iffy graphical issues on some PCs, and very pricey skins despite having a lower marketing reach/less chance for collabs and new content in the way other games are pushing. It can be a decent game if you're very much into the mechanics, but it's definitely more of a niche title, so you will need to keep that in mind if you plan on picking it up or diving back in throughout 2026.

Delta Force

Delta Force is a hybrid FPS built around large-scale tactical warfare and extraction shooter mechanics. There are multiple game modes for players to try out, such as large conquest battles, extraction modes, and PvE/hybrid missions, so this flexibility can be a plus. Weapon implementation and recoil have received praise from gamers, with accessibility to machinery and vehicles such as helicopters and tanks adding even more possibilities to every match. These multiple game modes and weapon variety are part of Delta Force's greatest strengths.

However, there are also a few faults to Delta Force, too, with issues such as map inconsistencies with empty stretches of terrain and long travel times proving to be a pain point. Some players have also complained that the game feels quite generic and forgettable overall, despite having some strong mechanics. A lack of style or strong visual identity has been criticized, with the game not feeling 'bad' so to speak, but instead not feeling distinct compared to other titles in the space. With all of the different game modes, there's also quite a bit going on, which can be overwhelming for new players as they try to learn the ropes.

In 2026, Delta Force can still provide some fun with the variety of game modes available, fun weapon customization, and nice graphics. However, there are significant issues currently ongoing that make it difficult to recommend for people to pick back up or enter as a newbie. Most significantly, the community has been reporting an extremely volatile cheating problem that is ruining what fun is left in the game with the dedicated community.

It's the type of game that can be fun to grab some friends and jump into the chaos, but it also has a learning curve, bot-inflated matches, and the notorious cheating problem. I'd recommend trying this one if you're open-minded to it, but going in not expecting too much - you'll probably have the most fun and more pleasant surprises this way, as long as you can get around the cheaters.

FragPunk

FragPunk is a unique spin on your classic hero shooter, using a unique Shard Cards mechanic that makes each round of combat feel completely fresh and different from one another. The game is built upon fast-paced gameplay with quick rounds, making it easy to jump in and play a few games. FragPunk also features a very stylized aesthetic, helping it stand out as unique. This bright, bold, neon style makes the game feel genuinely vibrant and engaging to play, which flows nicely with the rapid rounds, constantly changing Shard Card play, and fast-paced combat.

However, for some players, Shard Cards, as cool as they seem, can be more of a frustration. They are also fairly inconsistent, with some having the power to completely sway rounds, leaving players feeling like the result of a match is sometimes out of their hands. There's also a much smaller community of players compared to other big hero shooter names, perhaps because the game prioritized novelty over competitive depth - this isn't everyone's cup of tea, and many hero shooter fans grew tired of it rather quickly and went back to the titles they were used to, rather than it becoming part of their rotation.

FragPunk, in my opinion, is only really worth jumping into as a new or returning player in 2026 if you are genuinely bored with other big-name hero shooters in the market and looking for something fun, chaotic, and just a little bit random that you won't take too seriously. If you're looking for more consistent updates, better balancing, and a more structured competitive experience, though, then you're probably better off jumping into the likes of Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, or Deadlock. If anything, FragPunk will probably work best as a secondary pick you work into your rotation for occasional games rather than something you devote a lot of time to throughout the rest of 2026.