July 13, 2026

Ascend to ZERO is day-one on Game Pass at 83, a new Epic freebie is live, and Steam's free weekend ends at 10am PT

A time-bending roguelike from KRAFTON's Flyway Games lands on Game Pass today with an 83 Metacritic. A second surprise Epic freebie appeared over the weekend, Steam's free-to-play weekend for Against the Storm and two others closes at 10am PT (discounts run through July 23), and the Social Deduction Fest opens with LOCKDOWN Protocol at its all-time low. Every end date checked.

Game Pass: Ascend to ZERO launches day one

Ascend to ZERO, a time-bending action roguelike from Flyway Games (a KRAFTON subsidiary), releases today, July 13, as a day-one Game Pass title. The full game is included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It is not on the Premium tier.

The hook: every combat encounter runs on a 30-second timer you can freeze, rewind, and stretch with time-stop abilities. Critics responded well. Metacritic sits at 83 (Generally Favorable) across four positive reviews. Noisy Pixel gave it a 90 and called the countdown timer "one of the most engaging mechanics in the roguelike genre." Gameliner scored it 4 out of 5. DayOne gave it an 8 out of 10. The consensus: the time mechanic freshens up a crowded genre, with fast progression and satisfying build variety.

No Game Pass? Ascend to ZERO is also available to purchase on Steam and Xbox Series X|S. A demo has been live on Steam since March with very positive player feedback.

Price: Included with Game Pass Ultimate / PC Game Pass. Also on Steam and Xbox. Available: Now (July 13, day one).

Epic: a second surprise freebie, plus the weekly pair

A second developer giveaway appeared on the Epic Games Store over the weekend, running alongside the No Rush! Tower Edition surprise from yesterday and the weekly pair. Four games are free to keep on Epic right now.

• KeepUp Survival (Epic Games Store): an open-world survival sandbox from Witte Studio, normally $14.99. You crash-land on a mysterious island, build a base, craft, and explore at your own pace. The honest call: Steam reviews are Mixed at 63% positive across 670 reviews, with visible rough edges after five years in early access. The scope is real (base-building, co-op multiplayer, vehicles, dynamic weather, taming dogs) and it costs nothing to claim. Free to keep through July 19 at 10am PDT.

• No Rush! Tower Edition (Epic Games Store): a $2.49 3D platformer from developer FiveStar, free to keep through July 20 at 10am UTC (3am PDT). Not part of the weekly lineup. Too few Steam reviews for a consensus.

• Nova Lands ($19.99, 89% positive on Steam) and Tattoo Tycoon ($29.99): the weekly pair, free to keep through Thursday, July 16 at 8am PDT. Replaced next by Echo Generation: Midnight Edition and Luto.

Steam: free weekend closes at 10am, Social Deduction Fest opens

Two things happen on Steam at 10am PT today.

First, the free-to-play weekend ends. Against the Storm (95% positive on Steam, 91 on Metacritic), ARK: Survival Ascended, and gogh: Focus with Your Avatar have been free to play since July 9. The free play window closes at 10am PT today, July 13. Save files carry over if you buy. The discounts continue through July 23: Against the Storm at $8.99 (70% off, its all-time low per Steambase), ARK at $11.24 (75% off), and gogh at $7.19 (40% off). Against the Storm is the one worth buying if you only grab one.

Second, the Social Deduction Fest opens at 10am PT and runs through July 16 at 10am PT. It is a genre spotlight, not a seasonal sale. One deal stands out: LOCKDOWN Protocol, a first-person social deduction game for 1 to 16 players (86% positive across 16,000-plus Steam reviews), is at $5.99, 40% off and its all-time low per GG.deals. Several participating games are permanently free, including Goose Goose Duck (Very Positive, 81,000-plus reviews) and Unfortunate Spacemen.

This week

• Today, Mon July 13: Ascend to ZERO arrives Game Pass (above). Steam Social Deduction Fest opens, free weekend closes (above).
• Tue, July 14: PBA Pro Bowling 2026 joins Game Pass (all tiers).
• Wed, July 15: Ten games leave Game Pass, including PowerWash Simulator, Stellaris, Dungeons of Hinterberg (81 on OpenCritic), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and EA Sports FC 24. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check also joins Game Pass the same day. Last chance to play the departures with your sub.
• Thu, July 16: Epic swaps to Echo Generation: Midnight Edition plus Luto (free through July 23). Prime Gaming drops Escape Academy, Poly Vita, and Framed Collection. Mavrix joins Game Pass.
• Fri, July 17: FixForce and Fogpiercer (PC only) join Game Pass.
• PS Plus: Modern Warfare III, For the King II, and CrossCode still claimable through August 3. No change.
• Steam free-to-keep: The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante and Yet Another Zombie Defense HD are still scheduled for a 100% discount, but no start date has been confirmed.