This selection of the best free Xbox One games offers you the chance to try out something new in a genre you may have never played before. It’s also a great way to add to your gaming library. With the likes of Call of Duty Warzone, Apex Legends, and Fortnite, you certainly have your bases covered if you fancy jumping into a battle royale game.
Still, if that’s not your thing, there are various other titles to try out and enjoy. Again, there’s a great selection to choose from, from the fantastic Witcher card game spin-off to the sci-fi shooters like Warframe.
Xbox One games, No money at all.
Xbox just made one of the best games of all time 100 percent free to many Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X users. Tomorrow, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will get two new free games, Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Yooka-Laylee. We already knew this, though. We didn’t know that Capcom and Xbox would make Street Fighter IV free for no reason. Unfortunately, for non-Xbox Live Gold subscribers, this freebie is also limited to those with a subscription to Xbox Live Gold.
At the moment of publishing, everyone with the aforementioned subscription on the last three generations of Xbox platforms can download the classic fighting game for free, no strings attached. Once downloaded, the game is yours to keep forever as long as you maintain an active Xbox Live Gold.
As Wario64 points out over on Twitter, the freebie is actually available through Xbox Games with Gold Brazil. However, you don’t need to make a Brazil account to cash in on the offer.
As for the game itself, Street Fighter IV debuted back in 2008 via Capcom and Dimps to a 94 on Metacritic, making it one of the highest-rated games of the generation and one of the best fighting games of all time.
The best free Xbox One games
If you want a list of the best Xbox One games to work through while the summer is quiet, well, we’ve got great news. This is a collection of the top titles to grace the last generation console. Thanks to backward compatibility, you can take them all with you into the new generation, too – with most getting Xbox Series X upgrades to graphics and performance to boot.
While some of these games do have microtransactions, spending money is an option rather than a requirement, and you spend your time instead to get just as much out of the games. We’ve included an idea of what your money will get you alongside each entry, should you decide you want to spend.
So without further ado, here are the best Xbox One free games you can play right now.
Call of Duty Warzone
Call of Duty Warzone is a GamesRadar team obsession, and with good reason. Take part in epic battles of up to 150 players, collect loot, and complete contracts, all delivered with the sweet shooter satisfaction the Call of Duty series is known for. In addition, Activision keeps the game fresh with regular content drops, and the maps are dense and perfect for playing around with strategy.
One of the most attractive things about the game is that it keeps load-outs, inventory, and finding the right loot simple, so you can focus on the important things like taking out the enemy and showing off your sniper skills to your friends.
In-game purchases: In-game Warzone Points. Prices range from $2 for 200 points to 5000 for $40. you can use points to buy Battle Passes, skip a Battle Pass Tier, and buy cosmetic items.
Destiny 2: New Light
Bungie’s shooter now has a free-to-play flavor thanks to Destiny 2: New Light, a special version of the full game that focuses on content released before Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. Jump in, and you’ll find a specially made intro mission set in the Cosmodrome from the original Destiny, as well as every planet and hub in Destiny 2, including DLC areas.
There’s also campaigns, the PvP Crucible, Strikes, Gambit, and in-game events. There’s plenty to enjoy without spending a dime, but if you want to unlock later content, you’ll need to stump up for Destiny 2: Beyond Light at $40.
In-game purchases: Destiny 2 Silver is the in-game currency you’ll need for cosmetic items and starts at 500 Silver for $5.
Rocket League
Imagine if arcade racing and soccer had a baby, and you’ve got some idea of what makes Rocket League such a blast to play. It’s fine minutes of chaos as you race to bash the ball into your opponent’s goal in one-on-one or up to four-on-four matches. There are boosts to give you more power as you tackle your rivals, you can smash up enemy cars, and nothing quite compares to scoring a goal from mid-air.
Other modes like Dropshot keep things spicy, and developer Psyonix is a big fan of tie-ins with pop culture like WWE, Back to the Future, and The Witcher and special events to coincide with stuff like the Super Bowl.
In-game purchases: Rocket League credits start at $4.99 for 500 and let you customize your car with Blueprints and cosmetic items and can be put towards Rocket Pass Premium. Esports Tokens start at 99c for 100 and unlock sport-related customization items, like wheels, decals, and player banners.
Fortnite
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds might have the hype, but Fortnite might (whisper it) be the better game. Okay, it’s derivative as all hell – adding on a PUBG-aping Battle Royale mode to an already existing F2P co-op game – but in doing so, it created a slicker, more polished take on the source material. The rules are basically the same; hell, the game is basically the same – parachute into an island with 99 other people and then scavenge gear, weapons and fight to be the last man standing.
Don’t let it’s a bright, more cartoony presentation put you off either, as it’s just as lethal and quick to end as the source material.
In-game purchases: In-game V-bucks currency, as well as access to a single-player PvE campaign, in-game banner icons, Loot Pinata packs. Prices range from £7.99/$9.99 to £119.99/$149.99.
Apex Legends
EA’s free-to-play shooter came from nowhere to challenge Fortnite’s dominance of the free-to-play battle royale genre in early February 2019, reaching over 50 million players by the end of its first month.
In 2021 Apex Legends is home to a vibrant community, thanks to a responsive, squad-based shooter with amiable characters and clearly defined skill classes. It’s developed by Respawn Entertainment, of mech-shooter Titanfall fame, making Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
In-game purchases: You don’t need to spend any money to enjoy Apex Legends: the game starts with two-thirds of the characters unlocked, and you can access the rest via extended play. However, the game offers three currencies: 1) Crafting Metals, 2) Legend Tokens, and 3) Apex Coins – the latter is the only one you purchase for real money. So the least you can buy is 1000 Apex Coins for $9.99, which is enough to pay for a legend for 750, with 250 coins to spare. Apex Packs are basically looted boxes and cost around 100 Apex Coins, with a 100% chance of getting one Rare item or better.
Roblox
You might not be familiar with Roblox, but ask any kid, and they’ll give you all the latest on the game and game creation platform that sees around 20 million games a year added to its world. Some of the biggest games on the platform are Adopt Me! – an MMO-style game where the main draw is adopting and caring for pets – the fantasy RPG school-themed Royale High, episodic horror game Piggy, and The Sims style Welcome to Bloxburg.
Those who are done with playing can spend their time building their own games or items, and there are special events like an annual Easter egg hunt.
In-game purchases: The currency you’ll need to personalize your avatar and unlock special abilities is Robux. They start a $4.99 for 400. Premium Membership of Roblox starts at $4.99 a month, gets you an allowance of 450 Robux, and allows players to buy, sell, and trade in-game items.
Fallout Shelter
Fallout Shelter’s wasteland meets The Sims shouldn’t be so addictive, but, somehow, running your own vault can eat up time like nobody’s business. It starts with the basics: building the facilities you need to keep people alive – power, food, water, etc. – and then assigning settlers to run it all.
Before long, though, you’re sending people out on missions, fighting off raiders, dressing up pets, and more. Of course, it’s all free to play, but it can be quite hard to resist spending some money on Lunch Boxes – the in-game loot that gives you stat-boosting settlers, outfits, and more.
In-game purchases: In-game money, Nuka Cola boosters, pets, settlers, outfits, and more. Prices start at £0.79/$0.99.
