The Epic Games Store’s Christmas 2024 free game was Control, revealed on December 25. A cryptic clue reported the day before suggested an older AAA game with “Very Positive” Steam reviews, but it did not identify a title—and a popular guess, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Platinum Edition, was wrong.
What was the Epic free game on Christmas 2024?
Epic revealed Control as its Christmas giveaway on December 25, 2024. The December 24 rumor report had listed Control among possible candidates, but it also discussed other guesses. Its follow-up called the clue the leaker’s first miss in that holiday giveaway run. Notebookcheck’s follow-up and a contemporaneous VGTimes report confirmed that Control, not Civilization VI, was the offer.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
CONTROL Ultimate Edition - PlayStation 5 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 2 |
|
CONTROL Resonant - PlayStation 5 | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Control Ultimate Edition (PS5) | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Control Ultimate Edition - PlayStation 5 | $69.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Resident Evil 4 - PS5 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
What did the “Very Positive” Steam clue say?
In its December 24, 2024 report, Notebookcheck attributed the cryptic clue to Reddit user u/MeguminShiro. The report interpreted it as pointing toward an older AAA game with Steam’s “Very Positive” review label, a title more than two years old, dharma and Om symbols, and a possible “half repeat” of an earlier giveaway collection. It described the clue as confusing and said there was no concrete game identification at that point. The Reddit post itself was not independently verified for this account, so these details should be understood as Notebookcheck’s description of the clue, not as an official announcement or proof of a game’s identity. Notebookcheck’s original report
Why the clue did not confirm a specific game
The symbols and “half repeat” wording admitted more than one interpretation. Notebookcheck mentioned Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Platinum Edition as a plausible guess and also discussed Batman: Arkham Knight under another interpretation. Neither candidate was established by the clue. The actual reveal—Control—shows why coded giveaway hints are speculation until Epic names the game.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- Uncover the mysteries - Can you handle the bureau’s dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here.
- Everything is your weapon - Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover new ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon.
- Explore a hidden world - Delve deep into the ominous expanses of a secretive government agency. Explore the Bureau’s shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye…
- Fight for control - Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry.
Where to check Epic’s current free games
The Christmas 2024 offer has expired; it is not a current promotion. For live offers, use the Epic Games Store Free Games page. Epic’s Player Support guidance on finding free games also directs players to that page. Check the live listing for current availability rather than relying on old giveaway dates.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
Rank #4
- Control Ultimate Edition contains the main game and all previously released expansions ("The Foundation" and "Awe") in one great value package
- Can you handle The Bureau's dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here
- Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover new ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon
- Delve deep into the ominous expanses of a secretive government agency. Explore The Bureau's shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye
- Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry
Rank #3
- Uncover the mysteries. Can you handle the bureau's dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here
- everything is your weapon. Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover New ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon
- explore a hidden world. Delve deep into the Ominous expanses of a secretive government Agency. Explore the bureau's shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye
- fight for control. Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry
- experience true next-generation gaming with increased visual fidelity through 4K graphics, ray-tracing and a 60FPS performance mode
Rank #2
- STEP INTO A WARPED REALITY: Explore multiple areas of a ravaged Manhattan in an expansive, unfamiliar, and exciting world. Traverse perception-bending locations and grapple with gravity anomalies that distort the vertical and horizontal plane, adding additional dimensions to puzzles and new tactical decisions to combat. Meet faces old and new on a path fraught with risk but rich in opportunity as the cityscape is reshaped and reality is redefined by a godlike force.
- MASTER THE PARANATURAL: Channel the raw experiences of Dylan’s past to help understand his present and dig deeper into the inner workings of the FBC and reveal the horrors threatening humankind. Tap into power he must learn to master and take choices to shape how his abilities manifest and grow. Explore a deep progression system to define how Dylan adapts to emerging dangers. Forge connections crucial to Dylan’s fight to retain his humanity as he journeys from former test subject to paranatural superweapon
- THE FIGHT SHIFTS. YOUR WEAPON SHIFTS WITH IT: Meet constantly evolving threats head-on, utilising the environment, deploying elemental abilities and using the raw force Dylan’s shapeshifting melee weapon, the Aberrant. Wield the Aberrant in its many deadly forms. Deliver bone-crunching blows with a two-handed hammer and flow seamlessly into the swift precision of dual-wielded blades as this paranatural weapon morphs on demand to meet each new challenge.
- SHARED LEGACY. NEW THREAT: FBC Director Jesse Faden's lockdown is no longer holding. A paranatural catastrophe has spilled beyond the Oldest House and onto the streets of Manhattan, and the Bureau's grip on containment is failing. Jesse Faden walked into the Oldest House to confront the threat within. Now Dylan must walk out of it to contain the threat beyond.
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