Fortnite, Black Ops 3 free and more E3 2018 games you can play right now
From Fortnite on Nintendo Switch to Blops on PS4 for free, these are the games you won't have to wait years for.
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
At E3 2018, companies announced a bunch of games that were either coming to platforms in addition to PC or being made free-to-play. Some were surprising -- such as Unravel 2 -- while others, like Fortnite coming to the Nintendo Switch, had been rumored.
Usually, when a game is announced at E3 it's one of two things: It's several years from being released, or worse it's vaporware and never sees the light of day. But here are a handful games that got stage time that you can play right now.
Fortnite
Everyone's favorite battle royale game is now available on the Nintendo Switch. Build stuff, kill a bunch of people, but definitely do not eat chicken at the end of it, that's right out. You can get your copy of Fortnite on Switch today, or choose from one of the many other platforms it also appears on.
Hollow Knight
While Cuphead garnered all of the attention at the time of its release, Hollow Knight is the platformer that's actually fun to play. It's now available on Switch in addition to Steam.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
OK, this 2015 game is hardly new. But for the next few weeks, PlayStation Plus members can snag it for free. It's all part of the promotion for the sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, coming Oct. 12.
Quake Champions
Quake Champions has been available in beta for Steam for some time, but Bethesda announced it's now free to play if you sign up before June 17. If you ever played the original Quake 3 Arena, you'll know what you're getting: intense death-match maps, rocket jumps and plenty of gory gibs. Quake Champions received a lukewarm reception when it first appeared, perhaps because it followed too closely behind Doom without adding any significant gameplay improvements. But you should get it now because it's much better, and hey, it's free!
Unravel 2
Being the only truly unseen game on this list, the sequel to Unravel adds a second character to the mix. The original was adorable, and it will be interesting to see how this yarn-based play translates to the new co-op mode. Will it become more LittleBigPlanet than LittleBigPlanet? Get Unravel 2 at the Microsoft Store.
For Honor
Knights, vikings and samurai. Fighting each other. It's like Westworld, only with less existential angst. For Honor's been available for a year, but previously it cost you actual cash money. If that sounds like your thing, the game is free on UPlay this week.
Fallout Shelter
An old favorite, Fallout Shelter originally debuted as a teaser for Fallout 4 , but as testament to the game's evergreen nature it's now available on the PS4 and Nintendo Switch. You can also find it on iOS, Android, Xbox One and Windows.
Prey: Mooncrash
Mooncrash is less a full game and more free DLC for owners of last year's creepy sci-fi shooter Prey. The new update adds three new modes: Story Mode for casual players; Survival Mode, for a more hardcore experience; and New Game Plus, which gives all players "a whole new reason to return to Prey after they complete the game."
Lawbreakers
Gravity-based shooter Lawbreakers was first announced at E3 2016, and it is now a free-to-play game for Steam and PS4. If Black Ops III with a bit of Angry Birds Space thrown in sounds appealing, you can get Lawbreakers here.
Vermintide 2
Another PC game now coming to consoles , Vermintide 2 is Warhammer's answer to four-player co-op games such as Payday and Left 4 Dead. Instead of zombies or cops, however, you fight evil sewer-dwelling ratmen. The screams for help you make over your headset will sound much the same. Play on Steam, or sign up for the Xbox beta and PS4 beta.
Beta signups
In addition, the following games have announced a forthcoming beta program:
Editors' note: This is a developing story. Look out for more games to be announced as E3 2018 continues.
See also
E3 2018 so far: Fallout 76, Cyberpunk 2077, Halo and a new Xbox (kinda).
Ubisoft E3 2018: Star Fox in Starlink, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey and more.