Steam Kicks Off October Free Weekend With Three PC Games
Steam's Free Weekend promotion is back after a brief pause, offering three PC titles at no cost for a limited time. The free games are ARC Raiders, Core Keeper, and Squad 44, though their end times differ rather than all expiring together. As usual, the promotion is expected to be followed by discounts on the featured games.
Steam's October Free Weekend features ARC Raiders, Core Keeper, and Squad 44. Unlike promotions where all titles end together, these have separate expiration times; one aligns with the usual Monday 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET cutoff. ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter from Embark Studios, released October 30, 2025, with 81% Very Positive from over 200,000 user reviews. Its free access ends October 12 at 1 a.m. PT / 4 a.m. ET, and it is discounted 50% until October 15.
Core Keeper is described as a highly-rated open-world survival-crafting co-op game. Steam's Free Weekend events usually make paid premium games temporarily free, often followed by steep discounts. The article notes this weekend's schedule is more scattered than usual, so players should check each game's listed end time rather than assume a single deadline.
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Steam's limited free access could let budget-conscious PC players sample three titles without upfront cost, potentially broadening each game's audience. The staggered deadlines may require extra attention, which could frustrate casual users but also encourage repeated visits to the store. If discounts follow, players who enjoy the trials may buy at lower prices, possibly boosting short-term sales and multiplayer populations. Developers and publishers may benefit from renewed visibility, while players with less disposable income may gain a low-risk way to try premium games. Count: Steam's1 limited2 free3 access4 could5 let6 budget-conscious7 PC8 players9 sample10 three11 titles12 without13 upfront14 cost,15 potentially16 broadening17 each18 game's19 audience.20 The21 staggered22 deadlines23 may24 require25 extra26 attention,27 which28 could29 frustrate30 casual31 users32 but33 also34 encourage35 repeated36 visits37 to38 the39 store.40 If41 discounts42 follow,43 players44 who45 enjoy46