Epic giving away 17 free games in annual holiday event – what will the next one be?

Paul McNally / Last Updated: Dec 22, 2023 / Game / News
epic mystery game day 3

Updated: Waiting for news on what Game 4 is.

Each year the Epic Games Store gives away a free game a day each day until the New Year. We have Destiny 2 Legacy Collection, DNF Duel, and Melvor Idle live already and the third game will drop on Thursday, read below for the latest theories on what it might be.

Don’t forget you can also check out our picks for the Holiday Sale that has also started and will run until 10th January. 

Epic Game Store Free Giveaway Game 3 – Melvor Idle

Melvor Idle

What games are in the 2023 Epic giveaway?

The internet goes wild each year trying to work out what games will be coming next. Epic generally gives vague clues with its screenshots for the following title, and that, combined with leakers, means we can generally get a decent indication of what might be coming next.

The giveaway generally includes high-profile titles along with indie offerings and builds to a crescendo as the days go by

We will be updating this page as the games arrive with what is coming, what we know is coming, and what is confirmed.

Epic Games 2023 free games leak – what is game 4?

Update 22nd December

Rumors are scarce at this point with less than four hours to go. Epic is doing a better job this year for sure.

Update 21st December

Still waiting for confident leaks to drop. We have seen a few suggestions it could be Duke Nukem Forever, but absolutely nothing concrete at this stage. Further rumors are circulating that it could be Melvor Idle – a game based on Runescape with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam, weirdly though, it’s not available right now on Epic Game Store – has it been removed in advance of a free drop?

Update 20th December

With just 25 minutes until we find out we have just had this message on X with apparent confirmation of DNF Duel being the free game for the next 24 hours. Will it be correct? It’s looking likely. Users in China are set to get Spelldrifter instead.

We are just hours away from the game 2 drop and the good money is now on DNF Duel – the theories behind this are that China is to get its own Mystery Game 2 and DNF 2 is blacklisted in China so, well, it all makes sense.

Update 19th December

What it’s not. Well despite rumors doing the rounds earlier it was a Quake I/II bundle, we can confirm it is NOT this. That bundle does indeed exist, but has just gone live in the EGS as a paid item ($14.99/£11.99) – the wait continues.

Update 18th December

Just two days to go until the game and we have no advance on what is below at this stage. We do now know however that the giveaway will last until January 11, not January 10th. More as we get it.

Update 14th December
So we know Destiny 2 is the first giveaway but the internet sleuths have been working hard on trying to work out what the second game could be. Traditionally Epic leaves clues in the wrapping paper graphic it uses for each game – although nobody has yet worked out the clue for Destiny ye, and that’s when we know the game, so it may be the clues will be tougher this year than previously. 

The image below is the next game and potential clue. The standout feature we can see if you look carefully is a mouse cursor, leading to speculation that game 2 may be a point-and-click adventure. Take a look and see what you think. Is that an American football?

Leaker billbil-kun on Twitter who has a great track record with the giveaway thinks it could be DNF Dual, as per the tweet below.

Confirmed free games in 2023 Epic giveaway

  • December 13th – Destiny 2 Legacy Collection
  • December 20th – DNF Duel
  • December 21st – Melvor idle

When is the Epic Games Store Holiday Sale?

The sale has just begun and will run until 10th January. You can claim a coupon for 33% off titles, and every time you complete an eligible transaction, you will receive a new coupon in its place. As well as the Epic Holiday Sale, the other prominent digital storefront Steam runs its own event, and you can see what to expect from that sale here.

Paul McNally

Gaming Editor

Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title published by IDG Media. Having spent time as Head of Communications at a professional sports club and working for high-profile charities such as the National Literacy Trust, he returned as Managing Editor in charge of large US-based technology websites in 2020. Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine, PlayStation Pro, Amiga Action, Mega Action, ST Action, GQ, Loaded, and the The Mirror. He has also hosted panels at retro-gaming conventions and can regularly be found guesting on gaming podcasts and Twitch shows. He is obsessed with 3D printing and has worked with several major brands in the past to create content Believing that the reader deserves actually to enjoy what they are reading is a big part of Paul’s ethos when it comes to gaming journalism, elevating the sites he works on above the norm. Reach out on X.