The best free-to-play games for Xbox in 2022

Some of the best free-to-play games for that shiny new Xbox Series X|S to suit a post-Christmas budget

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If you either treated yourself to a new Xbox console this Christmas or were lucky enough for Santa to have brought one, no doubt you’re itching to play it at all times. To do that, you’re gonna need a good selection of games to keep you busy, and there’s no better way to get to grips with your new console than testing out some free-to-play titles.

Here, we’re going to list just a handful of the huge collection of free titles you can download for your Xbox console, but this list doesn’t even scratch the surface. The easiest way to find the entire catalogue of free Xbox titles is to simply search the term “free” in the Microsoft Store. To see what everyone else is playing, simply head to the “Top Free” section in the store.

Top free-to-play Xbox games

Fortnite

Whether you’ve played this hugely popular Battle Royale shooter or not, you’ll surely have heard of it. One of the biggest games in the world at the moment, Fortnite keeps fans coming back with its regular events, colorful skin packs and interesting and ever-evolving lore.

We’re currently fairly new to Chapter 3, Season 1, so even if you are new to the game, it’s a great time to drop in. There’s still plenty of time to get involved and level up your Battle Pass before the season ends.

Fortnite is free to download and play, but you will need to part with your real money if you want the full Battle Pass. You will need to purchase V-Bucks with those real life dollars, and redeem 950 of them for the Battle Pass. Having said that, by fully leveling up your Battle Pass each season, you can earn enough free V-Bucks to get the next season’s Pass. So, play enough, and you should only ever need to pay with real money once. Alternatively, you can play and level up the free Battle Pass and still earn some of the available rewards.

Roblox

With “metaverse” being the keyword as we go into 2022, Roblox is a must-have free-to-play gaming experience. This blocky game platform features thousands of games created by independent developers around the world, made using Roblox’s own, easy-to-use creator. As such, there’s something for everyone on Roblox, from first person shooters and simulators, to obstacle courses (or “obbys”) and horror games.

Roblox is playable entirely free of charge, with microtransactions available for cosmetic items, so they have no competitive value in-game.

Halo Infinite

Brand new at the end of 2021, Halo Infinite was one of the biggest games of the year. While the campaign is not free, the massively popular multiplayer is. Whether you’ve got experience with previous Halo titles or not, there’s no reason not to give the Xbox and PC-exclusive first-person shooter a try.

As with most of these free-to-play games, there is an in-game store, and microtransactions to spend your real life money on if you so wish. Since these purchasable items are, again, avatar, weapon and profile customization options, there is no competitive benefit in game.

Destiny 2

Destiny 2 might have been around for some time now, but that doesn’t mean it’s slowing down. On the contrary, now is the perfect time to get started as a Guardian for the first time, or jump back in if you’ve not played in a while, with a huge new update coming up.

The Witch Queen arrives in Destiny 2 in February 2022, but is a paid-for DLC. However, you can give the base game a try for free in the meantime, and get involved in the Season of the Lost before it ends with the arrival of the Witch Queen. You will still be able to continue playing Destiny 2 for free as the next season arrives, as well, and you can even level up your Battle Pass, earning free rewards as you go. Extra rewards are available with the paid-for Battle Pass.

Call of Duty Warzone

Another free-to-play shooter, Call of Duty Warzone takes everything that makes the Call of Duty franchise great, and has turned it into a hugely popular Battle Royale. If the cartoonish and colorful style of Fortnite isn’t your thing, then you may be better suited to the more realistic style of COD Warzone.

Warzone again uses a seasonal system, with either a free or paid-for Battle Pass. You will still get the same gameplay experience from the free version, earning some of the fantastic Battle Pass items along the way. You’ll earn additional cosmetic items and COD Points with the paid-for track.

Again, this is a great time to choose your loadout and drop into Warzone, with the brand-new map Caldera having only been recently released, along with the new Pacific season and Vanguard crossover.

Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold free games

Additionally, there are even more ways to grab free games on your Xbox console. While the subscription itself is not free, an Xbox Game Pass subscription gives you free access to hundreds of titles that you can dabble with as you please. Alternatively, if you have Xbox Live Gold – which itself is not free, but is required for playing paid-for online multiplayers – you can grab yourself three free games every month, to keep forever. Check out our full guides for more information on both Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, and whether they’re right for you.