Epic Games Store kicked off 2026 with a double feature that strategy fans and multiplayer enthusiasts should absolutely not sleep on. Total War: Three Kingdoms, originally a $60 premium strategy game from 2019, is completely free to claim alongside Wildgate, the spaceship PvPvE shooter that launched just six months ago. Both games are yours to keep forever if you add them to your library before January 8, 2026 at 11 AM EST.
Total War Three Kingdoms: A Strategy Masterclass
Total War: Three Kingdoms represents Creative Assembly at the absolute top of their game. Released in May 2019, this entry in the legendary strategy franchise recreates the epic conflicts of ancient China during the chaotic Three Kingdoms period. The game seamlessly blends massive real-time battles featuring thousands of soldiers with deep turn-based empire management that’ll have you plotting diplomatic schemes at 3 AM.
What makes Three Kingdoms special is how it balances historical authenticity with the larger-than-life heroism of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. You can play in Records mode for a grounded historical experience, or switch to Romance mode where legendary generals like Lu Bu and Guan Yu become superhuman warriors capable of cutting through entire enemy units solo. Watching two heroes challenge each other to a duel in the middle of a chaotic battlefield while thousands of soldiers clash around them never gets old.
Why Critics Loved It
The game launched to widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its gorgeous art direction inspired by Chinese aesthetics, the robust character relationship systems, and surprisingly deep diplomatic mechanics. IGN called it one of the best Total War games ever made, highlighting how faction leaders feel like actual personalities with motivations and rivalries rather than just stat blocks. PC Gamer awarded it Best Strategy Game of 2019, specifically praising how the hero system elevated combat without making it overly complicated.
The interface deserves special mention because it’s a genuine triumph of design clarity. Everything operates on a five-element system borrowed from Chinese philosophy (wood, fire, earth, metal, water), and once you understand this framework, navigating the complex web of relationships, unit counters, and strategic options becomes intuitive. You can check detailed information about every faction you’ve encountered with just a click or two, making the massive strategic map far less intimidating than it first appears.
The DLC Situation
Total War: Three Kingdoms has accumulated several DLC expansions since launch, but the base game provides a complete experience on its own. The most significant expansion is Mandate of Heaven, which rewinds the timeline to the Yellow Turban Rebellion and lets you play as either the crumbling Han Empire or the rebel forces trying to overthrow it. This adds an entirely different starting scenario with unique mechanics.
Other DLC mostly introduces additional playable warlords with unique mechanics or the Eight Princes expansion that jumps forward in time beyond the Three Kingdoms period. The Southern Tribes DLC adds war elephants and domesticated tigers, which is exactly as awesome as it sounds. However, none of these are essential, and you can easily sink 50-100 hours into the base game without feeling like you’re missing crucial content.
Wildgate: Space Pirates Meet Extraction Shooter
Wildgate takes a very different approach, offering a PvPvE multiplayer experience that blends ship-to-ship combat with first-person boarding action. Developed by Dreamhaven (founded by former Blizzard president Mike Morhaime), the game launched in July 2025 and has been quietly building a dedicated playerbase with regular content updates.
The core loop involves teaming up with three other players, piloting your ship into a dangerous region of space called the Reach, scavenging for loot and powerful artifacts, then either fighting your way past other player crews or sneaking out with your treasure intact. Think Sea of Thieves but in space, with more emphasis on tactical teamwork and zero-gravity firefights when you board enemy vessels.
How Wildgate Actually Plays
Ship combat in Wildgate is surprisingly accessible and extremely satisfying. Your vessel operates on a fixed plane, meaning you can strafe up and down but can’t do full barrel rolls or complicated flight maneuvers. This keeps combat focused on positioning, teamwork, and smart use of your ship’s various turret placements rather than demanding fighter pilot reflexes. Even the starter weapons feel powerful and responsive, making early matches fun rather than frustrating.
The boarding mechanics are where Wildgate really shines. You can instantly teleport back to your ship by pressing a button, which encourages bold boarding attempts since you’re never truly stranded. Once aboard an enemy vessel, you can sabotage their systems by stealing advanced weapons, removing support buffs, or even overloading their reactor for a timed explosion. The zero-gravity first-person combat during these raids feels weighty and tactical, with exaggerated animations that make each firefight memorable.
Wildgate also includes AI encounters and environmental hazards scattered throughout each match. Fighting giant space monsters requires genuine teamwork and coordination, especially when tackling them solo or with an under-equipped crew. Some encounters introduce unique challenges like rapid oxygen depletion that force you to adapt your loadout and character choice. The game alternates between different modes hourly, concentrating the playerbase and keeping queue times reasonable despite the relatively small community.
The Mixed Reception Reality
While Total War: Three Kingdoms earned near-universal praise, Wildgate has received a more mixed response from critics and players. PC Gamer gave it a 60% score, calling the core concept cool but criticizing the execution as uneven. Common complaints include matches feeling slower-paced than expected, a somewhat steep learning curve for new players jumping into PvP immediately, and progression systems that can feel grindy.
However, the game has improved significantly since launch through consistent updates and seasonal content drops. The recent addition of a Treasure Hunt mode playable in custom games allows for fully PvE experiences if you want to learn the ropes without getting destroyed by experienced crews. The holiday update dramatically improved queue times, and the developers have been responsive to community feedback about balance issues and missing quality-of-life features.
Epic’s Free Game Strategy
Epic Games Store has been giving away free games weekly since late 2018, and the strategy has proven remarkably effective despite the platform’s rocky relationship with PC gamers. Over 580 million free games were claimed in 2024 alone, with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney confirming that the free game program remains the most cost-effective way to attract new users compared to their controversial exclusivity deals.
Interestingly, developers who participate in these giveaways typically see increased sales of their other titles on the Epic Store afterward due to raised awareness. Some studios specifically time free game promotions around new launches to build hype and community engagement. For Total War: Three Kingdoms, this giveaway introduces a whole new generation of players to a game that Creative Assembly unfortunately stopped supporting in 2021 despite its quality.
How to Claim These Games
Claiming free games on Epic Games Store is straightforward. You’ll need an Epic Games account (free to create), then simply visit the store page for Total War: Three Kingdoms or Wildgate and click the Get button. The games get added to your library permanently, and you can download them whenever you want even after the promotion ends. You have until January 8, 2026 at 11 AM EST to claim both titles.
Total War: Three Kingdoms is a chunky download at around 60 GB, so plan accordingly if you’re on slower internet. Wildgate clocks in much smaller at roughly 30 GB. Both games are PC exclusive on Epic during this promotion, with no console versions available through this particular giveaway.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long are Total War: Three Kingdoms and Wildgate free?
Both games are free to claim from January 1 through January 8, 2026 at 11 AM EST. Once claimed, they’re yours to keep forever and you can download them anytime even after the promotion ends.
Do I need to pay for DLC for Total War: Three Kingdoms?
No, the base game is completely playable and provides dozens of hours of content without any DLC. Expansions like Mandate of Heaven and Eight Princes add more content but aren’t necessary for enjoying the core experience.
Is Wildgate dead or does it have an active playerbase?
Wildgate has a smaller but dedicated playerbase. Recent updates have improved queue times to under five minutes, and the game alternates between modes hourly to concentrate players. It’s definitely playable, though expect to face some experienced crews in PvP.
Can I play Total War: Three Kingdoms single-player?
Absolutely. The campaign is primarily a single-player experience where you build an empire and conquer China. There are multiplayer battle modes available, but the meat of the game is the solo campaign that can take 50-100 hours per playthrough.
Does Wildgate require friends to play or can I solo queue?
You can solo queue and get matched with random teammates. The game supports both premade squads and solo players looking for a crew. Communication helps significantly, but the game is designed to work with randoms if you’re willing to coordinate through pings and basic callouts.
Are these games actually free or are there hidden costs?
They’re genuinely free with no strings attached. Epic Games pays developers to give these games away as a user acquisition strategy for their platform. Once claimed, you own them permanently on your Epic Games account.
Will my progress carry over if I claimed Wildgate during a previous free period?
This appears to be Wildgate’s first free promotion on Epic Games Store since it only launched in July 2025. If you purchased it previously, your progress remains intact.
Don’t Miss This One
Free game promotions come and go, but Total War: Three Kingdoms at no cost represents exceptional value for strategy fans. This is a game that regularly sold for $60 at launch and still commands $30-40 during sales. Getting it free alongside Wildgate, which just released six months ago at a $30 price point, makes this one of Epic’s stronger double offerings in recent memory. Whether you’re a longtime Total War veteran looking to revisit one of the series’ best entries or a complete newcomer curious about what grand strategy campaigns offer, Three Kingdoms provides an excellent entry point with its intuitive interface and spectacular presentation. Wildgate might be more niche with its PvPvE extraction shooter gameplay, but at the low cost of free it’s absolutely worth trying, especially if you have friends to crew a ship with. Just remember that January 8 deadline. Miss it and you’re looking at paying full price for two games you could have owned for nothing but a few clicks and some download time.