July 9, 2026
Epic's $50 free-game pair is live now, and the Steam Summer Sale closes at 10am PT today
The July 9 drops landed. Claim Epic's two, grab a Summer Sale historic low before 10am, plus what comes next on Steam and Game Pass.
The pileup previewed yesterday hit on schedule at 8am PT. Epic's new pair is claimable, two Game Pass titles just landed, Prime's weekly drop opened, and the Steam Summer Sale has roughly two hours left. Here is what to grab, what to skip, and the dates that matter.
Epic Games Store: claim both now, free through July 16
Epic's swap went live at 8am PT today. Two games are free to keep through Thursday, July 16 at 8am PT / 11am ET, after which they leave the giveaway (anything claimed stays yours forever). Grab them on the Epic free games page.
- Nova Lands ($19.99 normally): a chill automation and base-building sandbox where you turn resource islands into production chains. Critics liked it, 80 on OpenCritic with 80% recommending it, and the consensus is that it is not the deepest game in the genre but an easy, addictive one to recommend. This is the better of the two and the one worth your five minutes.
- Tattoo Tycoon ($29.99 normally): a tattoo-shop management sim from HandyGames. Reviews are mixed, a 6/10 from Finger Guns and a "Mixed" 62% on Steam, with the running takeaway that it is "fine" but does little to stand out. Claim it for the library, just do not expect a hidden gem.
Combined value is about $50. Epic has not tipped next week's pair yet, so this is the only confirmed giveaway to plan around.
Steam Summer Sale: ends at 10am PT today, then a four-day gap
The sale closes at 10am PT / 1pm ET today, July 9, per Valve's Steamworks schedule. Prices are locked, so there is no last-minute rotation, but the window itself closes around two hours after this lands. If a historic low is still on your wishlist, now is the point.
The standout we tracked, Cyberpunk 2077 at $17.99 (70% off, a verified historic low on IsThereAnyDeal), is among the prices that vanish at 10am.
What comes next is not another big sale. Valve's official event calendar lists the Steam Social Deduction Fest from July 13 to July 16 (a themed genre event with curated discounts, not storewide), then Train Fest July 20 to 27. The next true seasonal sale is the Autumn Sale, October 1 to 8. So if you want a deep, cross-catalog discount, today is effectively the last chance for months.
Xbox Game Pass: Gears of War Reloaded and Tamashika land today, Palworld 1.0 tomorrow
Two titles joined Game Pass today, July 9, per Pure Xbox:
- Gears of War: Reloaded is now on Game Pass Premium (it was already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass from last August). The 4K, up-to-120fps remaster of the 2006 original sits at 81 on OpenCritic, with reviewers calling the visuals sharp but noting it adds little if you already played the Ultimate Edition. Useful as a catch-up before Gears of War: E-Day.
- Tamashika is new to Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass. The fast-paced arcade shooter carries a "Strong" OpenCritic rating and 75% positive Steam reviews, per GameRant. A trippy, low-stakes pick if you want something short.
Tomorrow, July 10, Palworld 1.0 hits Game Pass as it leaves Early Access, with new locations and characters. If you have been waiting for the "finished" version, that is the date.
Prime Gaming (Luna): Still There and Regular Factory open today on GOG
Amazon's weekly drop opened today, July 9, per Amazon Game Studios. Two PC games are free to claim and keep for Prime members, both redeemed on GOG:
- Still There: a narrative psychological mystery about a lighthouse operator adrift in space, "Very Positive" on Steam. The quieter, more atmospheric of the two.
- Regular Factory: Escape Room: a puzzle-room game, also "Very Positive" on Steam. July's Luna lineup leans hard on escape rooms, and this is the second of three this month.
The next batch arrives July 16: Poly Vita, Framed Collection, and Escape Academy (the last redeemed on the Epic Games Store). The full July schedule staggers 12 games across the month.
Still claimable: PS Plus July monthly games
The PlayStation Plus monthly trio, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, For the King II, and CrossCode, remains free to claim through Monday, August 3 for Extra and Premium members, per the PlayStation Blog. No change since last week, just an open window if you have not added them yet.
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