No—DREDGE is not the current free game on the Epic Games Store as of August 16, 2026. Epic’s active August 13–20 giveaway is Caravan SandWitch. DREDGE was previously offered for roughly 24 hours during Epic’s holiday promotion on December 24, 2024.
If you claimed DREDGE during that promotion, it remains in your Epic Games library. If you missed it, the old giveaway cannot be claimed retroactively.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Fireshine Games Dredge Deluxe Edition | $43.74 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Merge Games Let's Build a Zoo PS5 | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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NBA BOUNCE - PlayStation 5 | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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What happened to the DREDGE giveaway?
DREDGE was one of Epic’s daily holiday giveaway titles in 2024. It became available on December 24, 2024, and was replaced the following day after an approximately 24-hour claim window. That was a special holiday rotation, not the standard seven-day weekly promotion.
The outdated headline “DREDGE is Today’s Free Game on Epic Games Store” can therefore be misleading when viewed without its original date. The current August 13–20, 2026 offer is Caravan SandWitch, according to PC Gamer’s current Epic free-games coverage.
#1 Best Overall
- DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.
- Unravel a Mystery Captain your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with its own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover, and stories to unearth.
- Dredge the Depths Scour the sea for hidden treasures and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities
- Study Your Craft Research special equipment and upgrade your boat’s capabilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios.
- Fight the Unfathomable Strengthen your mind and use your abilities to survive trips out on the water after dark.
Was the giveaway the full game or DLC?
The historical offer was for DREDGE, the standalone single-player fishing adventure—not automatically for its expansion, The Iron Rig. Epic’s DREDGE store listing should be checked for the exact edition if the game is offered again.
DREDGE combines daytime fishing and resource management with boat upgrades, exploration, quests, and increasingly dangerous supernatural encounters after dark. The official DREDGE website describes more than 125 deep-sea creatures to catch and emphasizes its single-player structure, progression, and unsettling atmosphere.
How Epic’s free-game program normally works
Epic says its regular free-game program usually introduces a new title every Thursday at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. Standard offers generally last seven days, but holiday events can use shorter daily rotations, as happened with DREDGE.
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- Build your own zoo with over 500 different animals at your disposal, then splice together over 300,000 different animal combinations
- Keep your animals and your itors happy, with hundreds of buildings, foliage, path and enclosure decorations
- Hire the perfect employees to deal with a variety of life events
- Control everything that happens in your park, from what your animals eat to what eats your animals…
- Decide whether you want to run your Zoo above board... or break the law and pocket the extra cash
- You need an Epic Games account.
- Epic requires two-factor authentication to claim free games.
- You must complete the claim during the stated promotional window.
- After a successful claim, the game remains in your Epic library permanently, even if you do not download it immediately.
See Epic’s support guidance on free games for the current account and claim requirements.
How to claim a live Epic giveaway
- Sign in to your Epic Games account and ensure two-factor authentication is enabled.
- Open the Epic Games Store’s free-games section or the listing for the current title.
- Select Get or the equivalent redeem button.
- Complete checkout and confirm that the total is $0.00.
- Check your Epic library to verify that the game was added.
Button names and store layouts can change. For DREDGE, these steps are historical unless its Epic listing shows a new promotion.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What if you missed DREDGE?
Epic’s limited-time games must be claimed before the promotion ends. Missing the window does not normally create a later free entitlement. You can still check the official Epic listing for a current sale or edition, but prices and availability change and should not be inferred from the 2024 promotion.
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- FUN & EASY HOOP PLAY: Players of any age and level can learn the basics and play in style as they shoot, dunk, and block.
- CO-OP ON THE COURTS: Shoot hoops with family and friends and amp up the challenge with up to 4 players.
- PRACTICE YOUR MOVES: Choose your game mode and work on your lay-ups in Training, compete in a Full Season or Party playing Ball Pop and more.
- MASCOT MAYHEM: Jump into the shenanigans with your favorite team mascot in Party Mode.
- BUILD YOUR PERFECT LINEUP: Choose an Eastern or Western Conference team and design your players from the hair to the sneakers and funky trails.
You may also check the official DREDGE site for legitimate platform links. An Epic Games Store PC claim does not automatically provide a copy for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or mobile platforms.
If a live claim fails, check that you are using the intended Epic account, that the offer has not expired, and that the title was not already claimed on another account. For service interruptions, consult Epic’s public status page.
Bottom line on the headline
DREDGE was free on the Epic Games Store on December 24, 2024, for approximately one day. It is not the current free game on August 16, 2026; Caravan SandWitch is the active August 13–20 giveaway. Anyone who claimed DREDGE still owns it in their Epic library, while everyone else must wait for a future promotion or check the official store for its current purchase options.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
