15 Best Free PC Games For 2023 That Are Worth Trying Out

If there’s one thing that can make the gaming community go crazy, it’s an offer to play popular video games for free. Several big gaming studios offer free PC video games for a limited period. However, there are multiple free PC games for 2023 that you can play anytime you want.

Unfortunately, finding games you can play legally for free is a lot of work. That’s why I’ve done all the hard work for you. In this article, I’ve mentioned the 15 best free PC for 2023 that you can play without paying a penny. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Top 15 Free PC Games For 2023

1. Valorant

When it comes to the best PC games, Valorant easily takes the crown. It is a 5v5 multiplayer tactical shooter game developed and published by Riot Games, the studio behind another popular title ‘League of Legends.’ It’s like CS: GO on steroids; players join either the Defending or the Attacking side, and the first team to win 13 rounds takes wins the match.

Riot games launched Valorant worldwide on June 2, 2020, instantly grabbing millions of players’ attention. If you’re tired of Battle Royale or story-based games, Valorant is one of the best free online games to play.

The best thing about Valorant is the game doesn’t get boring thanks to over 15 playable agents that, unlike other games, can be obtained for free and aren’t locked behind a paywall. Each agent comes with a unique set of skills, thus, giving players a variety of new tricks to try and deceive enemies.

As a result, the game will grow on you, and your actions won’t feel repetitive. However, if you feel that the game is getting boring at some point, switching to playing another agent will make it a completely different experience.

The cherry on top is how easily the game runs on old hardware. Valorant is mostly CPU bound than GPU; hence, it runs well even with integrated graphics. In short, a potato PC can run this game at low or medium graphics settings. Still, if your PC’s too potato to run Valorant, here are some tricks to boost Valorant FPS on a low-end PC.

Download: Valorant

2. Call Of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty needs no introduction. Each year, Activision lives up to the expectations by dropping a new Call of Duty title. The downside is that, unlike Valorant, Call of Duty Warzone demands heavy processing power to get the most out of the game.

COD Warzone has two game modes, i.e., Plunder and Battle Royale. In the plunder game mode, players have to secure the highest amount of cash to win the game. The good thing about this mode is that players get infinite respawns and their selected weapons’ loadout during the match.

Then comes the Battle Royale mode that can be played as Solo, Duos, Trios, and quads. So, there are plenty of options in this regard.

Download: Warzone

3. Apex Legends

We won’t be doing enough justice to this list without mentioning Apex Legends, which is probably one of the most popular free battle royale games. The game is developed by Respawn Entertainment and is available for PC and consoles.

Apex Legends was one of the first in its class with character ability mechanics and are one of those titles that have inspired the developers and studios of other battle royale games. Like Valorant and Overwatch, gamers can play as different characters. Choosing an appropriate agent and pairing them with other agents is essential to Apex Legends, as every character comes with different skills and abilities. Some are healers, while others are initiators that bring and take the fight.

When it comes to free battle royale games, Apex Legends is one of the top dogs. If you’re a multiplayer games fanatic, you should check this one out.

Download: Apex Legends

4. Counter Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the legendary multiplayer game that inspired Valorant and many other 5v5 shooter games in the first place.

Valve, the company behind Steam Deck, released CS: GO back in 2013, and no one imagined that millions of players would still be playing this game even ten years after its release. Initially, CS: GO wasn’t free to play; however, in 2018, the studio decided to make the multiplayer game accessible to everyone.

Like Valorant, two teams of five players go against each other. Before every round, there’s a phase in which players can buy different weapons using the credits earned in the last round. So, there’s an economic aspect in the game as well.

If you want to try different free PC games in 2023 and haven’t tried out CS: GO, then you are missing out on something good. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the game that revolutionized first-person shooter games. CS: GO is like the gold standard for FPS games; hence, many people say, “If you’re good at CS: GO, you can conquer any FPS game.”

Download: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

5. Fortnite

If there’s one title Epic Games should be proud of, then it’s a free-to-play battle royale, Fortnite. Millions of players from around the world play this game; however, there is an army of gamers who hate Fortnite. And if you’re one of those who can’t stand Fortnite, even then, you must agree that it is a well-crafted game that deserves the player base it already has.

In Fortnite, 100 players drop on an island empty-handed. Then, they look for weapons and other supplies to kill their opponents and be the last ones standing.

Like all the free PC games on our list, Fortnite is also worth trying out, especially for someone who has just started with battle royale games. The game can be overwhelming at first; however, you’ll begin to love it once you get the hang of it.

Download: Fortnite

6. Planetside 2

Planetside 2 is probably one of the most massive free online multiplayer games ever made. The game came out almost eight years ago and is still played by millions of players. In Planetside 2, thousands of players fight a war on another planet, and no, I am not exaggerating with numbers here.

Planetside 2 holds the Guinness World Record for having over 1158 players in a single battle. So, it is the biggest Multiplayer FPS game ever produced. The graphics and visuals of this game are so impressive that you’ll doubt the free price tag of the game.

In Planetside 2, up to 2000 players fight to gain control over a territory. Amazingly, players can be on foot, on airplanes, and in vehicles. The overall chaos, with thousands of players fighting simultaneously, makes the overall gameplay very enjoyable.

If you’re trying out Planetside 2 for the first time, be prepared to die many times without being able to take out players. You’ll soon get the hang of the game and climb up the Battle Ranks to be one of the veteran players in one of the best free PC games for 2023.

Download: Planetside 2

7. Dota 2

In a nutshell, Dota 2 is a massive multiplayer online game in which two teams of five players compete with each other. One team tries to destroy a large structure while the other tries to defend it.

Dota 2 was developed by Valve and released back in 2013. With millions of players worldwide, it is considered one of the best free PC games for 2023. As impressive as the game is, its esports scene is one of the most popular in the industry, with loads of players and fans turning up for the events and thousands of teams participating in tournaments.

Some players criticize Dota 2 for all the complexity because the game’s learning curve is a bit punishing; however, you’ll find all the hard work incredibly rewarding once you learn everything about the game.

Download: Dota 2

8. League Of Legends

Alright, it’s perfectly normal for you not to love Dota 2. However, if you blame the game, not the mechanics, and want to try out a similar game, Riot Games’ League of Legends may be the one for you.

League of Legends is one of Riot Games’ gems that grabbed millions of players instantly from all over the globe. Thanks to the incredible music videos and collaborations with big names, a big chunk of credit for the game’s success goes to Riot Games’ marketing team.

League of Legends is very similar to Dota 2; however, learning to play LOL is much easier. League of Legends takes the role of a ‘champion’ to compete against other players in the arena. To win, players must destroy Nexus, which lies at the heart of the base covered by large structures.

In short, playing League of Legends requires incredible tactical skills and patience to overwhelm the opponent. If you start playing League of Legends, it’s highly possible that you’ll never play any other game.

Download: League Of Legends

9. Forza Motorsport 6 Apex

So, here we are, with the only racing game that is free to play. Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport 6 Apex is one of the best racing games ever made for PC. You can race on almost six world-famous tracks and ride more than 60 cars in different weather conditions. However, you’ll have to complete different objectives to unlock all race tracks and cars in the game.

Forza Motorsport 6 Apex is one of those free PC games for 2023 that can be played at 4k resolution, which is quite impressive. You rarely find a racing game for PC that is entirely free to play. So, Microsoft surprised us in that regard.

Download: Forza Motorsport 6 Apex

10. PES 2021 Lite

Of course, when it comes to video games based on football, FIFA titles are the most popular ones. However, no one can deny that Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer titles are also excellent. Every year, a new PES game outdoes its predecessors in terms of graphics, number of clubs, and more.

PES 2021 is the latest Season update by Konami that is being loved by soccer fans worldwide. However, just like all the previous PES video games, PES 2021 isn’t free to play. So, it’s a good thing we have PES 2021 Lite, a free version of the original game. Besides drastically reducing the number of clubs, PES 2021 Lite is similar to the original title.

Download: PES 2021 Lite

11. Warframe

Warframe is a Multiplayer role-playing third-person shooter game developed and published by Digital Extremes. In the game, you play as an ancient warrior race known as Tenno, who wakes up after centuries only to find themselves in a planetary war. The story and combat of the game are so appealing that if you start playing it, you’d be playing it for several years.

Warfare was released in 2013 for Windows; however, the game was later ported to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Since the initial release, the game developers have launched several updates to improve the game visually and mechanically. Millions of players around the world love Warframe. That is why Digital Extremes announced that Warframe would also be ported to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Download: Warframe

12. Spellbreak

Developed by Proletariot, Inc., Spellbreak is a multiplayer action battle royale game released on September 3, 2020. The game is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch and supports optional crossplay, which is fantastic.

Spellbreak is one of those free-to-play games for 2023 that will keep you hooked for several coming years with its unique gameplay. You play against 41 other players as a battle mage in the game. Unlike traditional battle royale games such as warzone and PUBG, in Spellbreak, you have to eliminate other players using your magical abilities.

In short, if you’re tired of playing every other battle royale game, then maybe you should try Spellbreak. Of course, it will take some time to understand the unique combat and gameplay, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy the game.

Download: Spellbreak

13. Destiny 2

Bungie’s multiplayer first-person shooter, Destiny 2, was released in 2017. However, Destiny 2 is one of the best free PC games to keep you hooked even in 2023 with its action-packed gameplay.

Initially, Destiny 2 was a paid game. However, in 2019, Bungie decided to make it free-to-play, which helped the game expand its user base.

In Destiny 2, players take on the Guardians’ role, responsible for protecting the rest of humanity against aliens. You can switch between futuristic weapons to go against several hordes of monsters. Also, players can choose between different guardians’ classes, each with a unique set of abilities.

Despite being free, Destiny 2 offers incredible graphics with engaging gameplay. Also, there are four expansion packs for Destiny 2, the latest one being Beyond Light. So, if you’re satisfied with Destiny 2’s free-to-play version, you can go one step ahead and buy the expansion packs to get more playable content.

Download: Destiny 2

14. Genshin Impact

On September 20, 2020, Hoyoverse (Formerly MiHoYo) released Genshin Impact, an open-world role-playing video game. Genshin Impact’s anime-styled aesthetic, combined with a fantasy open-world environment, free-to-play nature, and a magical storyline, managed to grab the attention of millions of players.

Moreover, as players move forward, they meet several playable characters with different abilities granted via “Visions.” During combat, players can instantly switch between characters and combine the different elements to deal increased damage to the enemies.

If you’re thinking of exploring some new free PC games in 2023, then Genshin Impact should be on your wish list.

Download: Genshin Impact

15. PUBG LITE

If you’re a fan of battle royale video games, then you might have heard of PUBG. However, unlike Warzone or Fortnite, PUBG is pay-to-play. Many battle royale enthusiasts don’t play PUBG because they don’t want to pay for it. Nevertheless, you can still experience the brilliance of PUBG because of the free-to-play version of the game, PUBG LITE.

Like the game’s original version, PUBG LITE has millions of players. It further means that you won’t be bored playing PUBG LITE because of the lack of competition. So, when it comes to free PC games for 2023, PUBG LITE deserves to be on the list.

Download: PUBG LITE

Don’t have a good PC? There’s more!

Don’t be disappointed if you have an old PC that won’t run any of the games listed above. We’re sure even an old PC has enough horsepower to run a browser, so you may want to try out some of the best browser games.

So, these are the best free-to-play games you can download in 2023. If you’re a console person, we’ve also got you covered in that regard. Nevertheless, we’ll keep updating the list as soon as we find out about more free PC games or upcoming PlayStation 5 games.