We’ll take a closer look at each game, what you can expect from them, and where you can play them in the cloud.
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – Grand Strategy With Personal Stakes
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is one of those strategy games that feels big the moment you start a campaign. It drops you into ancient China during a period defined by shifting alliances, legendary figures, and constant power struggles. You’re not just managing armies here. You’re balancing diplomacy, loyalty, economics, and long-term planning, often all at once.
What sets this entry apart is how much it focuses on characters. Generals are more than stat sticks. They have personalities, relationships, and rivalries that can shape how a campaign unfolds. Keeping key leaders happy matters. Lose the wrong general, and it can send ripples through your entire faction. It gives the campaign layer a sense of drama that sticks with you longer than a single battle.
On the battlefield, the game keeps the classic Total War feel. Large-scale real-time battles reward positioning, timing, and understanding your units. Watching formations clash while cavalry swings around the flank never really gets old. At the same time, the turn-based map layer is where most of your decisions live. Choosing when to negotiate, when to strike, and when to consolidate can matter just as much as winning a fight.
There’s also flexibility in how you play. You can lean hard into diplomacy and manipulation, or push aggressive expansion if that suits your style. Campaigns tend to feel long and deliberate, which makes this a great pickup if you enjoy sinking time into a single, evolving strategy rather than quick matches.
If you’ve been curious about the Total War series or missed this entry when it launched, grabbing THREE KINGDOMS for free is a great way to start the year with something meaty to dig into.
Claim Total War: THREE KINGDOMS for free on Epic Games Store
Where to Play Total War: THREE KINGDOMS in the Cloud
Wildgate – Fast Matches and Sci-Fi Chaos
Wildgate is built for quick multiplayer matches where things move fast and situations change constantly. It drops you into sci-fi arenas packed with movement options, weapons, and abilities that encourage you to stay active and engaged. Matches don’t take long to get going, and they keep a steady pace once they do.
The core appeal is how easy it is to jump in and start contributing. You pick a loadout, spawn into the action, and immediately get pulled into fights that reward movement and awareness more than perfect aim. You’re dodging attacks, pushing objectives, and reacting to what other players are doing around you. It feels designed for momentum, where one good push can swing an entire match.
It’s also the kind of game that works well in short bursts. You can jump in for a handful of rounds, make some progress, and step away without feeling like you’re falling behind. If you’re looking for something competitive but not overly demanding, Wildgate fits that space nicely.
As a free pickup, it’s a solid way to start the year with something more action-focused. Even if you’re mostly here for the strategy side with Total War, Wildgate gives you a very different kind of game to bounce between this week.
Claim Wildgate for free on Epic Games Store
Where to Play Wildgate in the Cloud
Claim Total War: THREE KINGDOMS and Wildgate Before January 08
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS and Wildgate are free to claim on the Epic Games Store until January 08, 2026, at 11 AM ET. Once you add them to your library, they’re yours to keep forever. That’s still the best part of Epic’s weekly giveaways. You get a chance to try games you might not normally pick up, without any downside.
This week’s lineup offers a nice balance. Total War: THREE KINGDOMS gives you a deep, long-form strategy experience built around characters, diplomacy, and large-scale battles. Wildgate goes the opposite direction, offering quick multiplayer matches that are easy to jump into when you want something more immediate.
Looking ahead, the next free game arriving on the Epic Games Store is Bloons TD 6, available from January 08 to January 15. We’ll be back with a full breakdown of that drop, including where you can play it in the cloud.
Which of this week’s games are you planning to grab first? Let us know, and check back next week for the next set of Epic Games Store free games and cloud options.
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