July 8, 2026

Nova Lands goes free, Gears of War Reloaded hits Game Pass, and the Steam Summer Sale ends Thursday

Three free-game drops and one sale deadline all converge on July 9. Every end date checked.

Tomorrow is a pileup. Epic swaps its free games, Game Pass adds a remastered classic, Prime Gaming drops two more titles, and the Steam Summer Sale closes for good, all within a few hours of each other on Thursday, July 9. Here is what to claim, what to skip, and when each window closes.

Epic Games Store: last chance today, new games tomorrow

Two things happen at 8am PT / 11am ET on Thursday, July 9. The current free games disappear from the giveaway, and the next pair goes live. Anything you have already claimed stays yours forever.

Leaving tomorrow morning (covered yesterday): I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream and River City Girls 2. If you have not grabbed them yet, today is the day. After 8am PT Thursday they revert to paid.

Going free Thursday, July 9 through Thursday, July 16 at 8am PT (Epic):

• Nova Lands (normally $19.99): a factory-building and island-management game where you gather resources, automate production lines, and explore. Critics landed around 80% on OpenCritic, calling it a charming, accessible entry point for the automation genre, though shallow for genre veterans. Steam players consistently recommend buying it on sale, which makes free the ideal entry point.

• Tattoo Tycoon (normally $29.99): a tattoo-shop management sim with a tattoo-placement mini-game and a story mode. Steam reviews sit at "Mixed" (62% positive across 35 reviews). Players like the concept and art style but cite a frustrating mini-game, bugs, and no sandbox mode. Free is the right price to find out if the loop clicks for you.

Xbox Game Pass: Gears of War Reloaded and Tamashika arrive Thursday

Xbox announced its July Wave 1 lineup on July 7. Here is what is arriving:

Thursday, July 9:

• Gears of War: Reloaded (Game Pass Premium, also available to Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers): a 4K, 120fps remaster of the 2006 cover-shooter that defined a console generation. Metacritic scored it "Generally Favorable" and OpenCritic has it at 80%, with critics calling it the best way to play the original. The consensus: newcomers will get the most out of it, while returning players may find it familiar but welcome. Normally $39.

• Tamashika (all Game Pass tiers): a fast-paced arcade-style corridor shooter. New release with no critic consensus yet.

Coming later this month:

• Palworld 1.0 (July 10, all tiers): the creature-collecting survival game exits early access with its full launch. Already on Game Pass, so this is a version upgrade, not a new addition.

• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (July 21, all tiers): the remake of the first two Tony Hawk games. Metacritic has it at 89 and OpenCritic at 97% ("Mighty"), placing it in the 98th percentile of all scored games. This is the standout addition of the month.

Leaving July 15 (one-week reminder): 10 games depart Game Pass next Tuesday, including Dungeons of Hinterberg, Stellaris, PowerWash Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, EA Sports FC 24, and Golf With Your Friends. Game Pass subscribers get a discount to buy any of them before they leave.

Steam Summer Sale: final 24 hours (ends Thursday, July 9 at 10am PT)

The Steam Summer Sale closes tomorrow at 10am Pacific. Prices have been locked since June 25 with no flash deals or rotations, so what you see now is what has been there all along. The only thing changing is the clock.

One deal worth flagging that was not in yesterday's issue:

• Cyberpunk 2077 at $17.99 (70% off from $59.99): confirmed as the all-time low on Steam via IsThereAnyDeal and SteamDB. The game has been substantially overhauled since its rough 2020 launch and is widely regarded as worth playing in its current state. The Phantom Liberty expansion is also at a historic low of $17.99 (40% off), and the bundle with both is $33.10.

Other verified historic lows from yesterday's issue are still live through tomorrow morning: Dishonored at $2, Watch Dogs 2 at $2.50, Don't Starve Together at $1.49, and the Metro Saga Bundle at $5.04. Slay the Spire is at 75% off (around $4.99), which trackers confirm is the deepest discount it has ever received.

Prime Gaming: two more free games drop Thursday

Prime members get two more free PC games on July 9, claimable through GOG and yours to keep permanently:

• Still There (GOG): a narrative point-and-click adventure about a lighthouse keeper on an isolated space station. Steam reviews are "Very Positive," and it is well regarded for its atmospheric storytelling and puzzle design.

• Regular Factory: Escape Room (GOG): an escape-room puzzler. Steam reviews are "Very Positive." A straightforward pick for fans of the genre.

Three more drops follow later in July: Escape Academy on July 16, In Sound Mind on July 23, and Zoria: Age of Shattering on July 30. The full 12-game July lineup was covered yesterday.

Tracking

PS Plus July games (still live through August 3): Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, For the King II, and CrossCode remain available for PS Plus Essential members. No changes since yesterday's issue.

Steam Free-to-Keep (date TBD): Valve's Free-to-Keep promotion has The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante and Yet Another Zombie Defense HD slated to go free at some point in July. The exact dates are not announced in advance, so these are easy to miss. Worth checking the Steam store page periodically if either interests you.

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