The best free-to-play games in 2025

After spending a couple of years in early access, Brawhlhalla, a fighting game that can only really be compared to Super Smash Bros., was released as a free-to-play title in 2017. In 2018, Blue Mammoth Games, the studio behind the peculiar brawler, was acquired by Ubisoft. Brawlhalla‘s ascent to landing with one of the biggest video game studios in the world means that the game will reach new heights. Currently, it’s available on PS4, Switch, Xbox One, iOS, and Android — and it’s a mobile game that you won’t want to miss out on. Ubisoft’s spunky mascot Rayman will enter the fight then, too. From a core gameplay perspective, Brawlhalla mirrors Smash in that the goal is to knock other fighters off the map. It features a simple control scheme that lets new players jump in quickly, which is perfect for a free-to-play game. Additionally, a myriad of interesting game modes, a plethora of maps, and a robust roster of fighters keep the experience fresh. And yes, weapons fall from the sky just like in Smash. In the free-to-play model, Brawlhalla lets players play as six different fighters each week. If you spend $20, you unlock all 41 fighters and all future fighters, including Rayman. It’s fast, easy to play, and has an engaging progression system.

Hearthstone is like Magic: The Gathering, but Arena is Magic: The Gathering. Known for popularizing, if not straight up creating, the collectible card game genre, Magic has a storied history. Although more involved than the other card games listed here, the core premise of Magic is simple. Lands produce mana, which you can use to cast spells, and you can play one land per turn. It’s identical to Hearthstone in that regard, with the only difference being resource management. You actually have to have a land in hand in order to get mana for that turn, whereas most other digital card games handle the mana scaling automatically. Although that may seem like a downside, it really isn’t. The variance in Magic is one of its core tenets, allowing players with a very weak deck to win against very powerful decks if they have the right draw. Like other digital CCGs, Arena is free-to-play, though you’ll have to spend some money to get a proper deck. The best course of action is to choose which format you want to play most. If you’re interested in drafting, you’ll slowly build a collection to put together a competitive deck or two. If you only want to play constructed, where you build a deck from whatever cards you want, it’s best just to buy some packs. Thankfully, Arena dishes out free packs left and right, and with the wildcard system, you can craft whatever extra cards you need. Although buying a competitive deck can get expensive, it’s much cheaper than buying that deck physically, where cards can cost $60 or more apiece.

No free-to-play list would be complete without League of Legends. The MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) was nothing short of revolutionary when it first landed on PC in 2009, and it has only improved in the years since its original release. The game is free to play with a limited number of heroes, called Champions, and more can be purchased using either real money or “IP,” which is earned through normal play. Though the genre has never been particularly inviting to new players, Riot has created a more newbie-friendly multiplayer experience than some of its contemporaries, and if you’re just getting started, there is almost a 100% chance that one of your friends already plays League of Legends.