While more free-to-play games are coming out than ever before, the sports-gaming world has not caught up in the same way. Rocket League is one of the biggest names to become free, but others have not followed suit. Big developers like EA and 2K have even gone the opposite direction and increased prices to $70 for next-gen games. If these studios are still raking in money from sales, why make them free? Although this genre lacks a large library of free games to chose from, there are still some highlights for those who are "ballin'" on a budget.
Will Madden and NBA 2K ever become free-to-play? It seems unlikely with how established each of those games are today. Newer games are having to make the decision between free-to-play or microtransactions, but sports games are continuing to do both. MLB The Show 21 released as a $60/$70 game that still included microtransactions and pay-to-win elements. Building a better Diamond Dynasty team is as easy as putting in credit card information. While the biggest names in sports are still collecting a high entry fee, here are some other options for free-to-play sports games.
There are not many free sports games on console outside of Xbox Game Pass, which is not free, but at a low monthly cost, a huge library of sports games becomes available. Some of the biggest names in sports gaming like Madden and FIFA are available to play but only with a subscription. As for completely free games, Steam has some unique sports games including Gridiron, a multiplayer 7v7 football game which pits 14 real players against each other. This interesting take on football has no AI players, unlike Madden, and instead lets each user take up a role on the field. Another interesting free game off Steam is the popular Fishing Planet, a first-person fishing simulation. While maybe not the first choice for traditional sports fans, this simulator can still offer a competitive challenge against opponents.
Best Free Sports Game? Rocket League Is Top Tier
Rocket League is one of the best sports games available, and it became free-to-play when it was acquired by Epic Games. With a blend of casual and competitive matches, Rocket League always delivers a fun experience in its own unique sporting way. It is hard to find a better free-sports game to play with friends. Another solid option would be 3on3 Freestyle Basketball. Players play a half court game of basketball in this cartoonish-streetball game. While it may not be as graphically advanced as the NBA 2K games, it offers a fun and free way to experience basketball. Both Rocket League and 3on3 Freestyle Basketball are available on PC and consoles.
There is nothing better than finding a fun free-to-play game. It is hard enough to get a group of friends to agree on downloading the same game, let alone spend money to try out a game together. Rocket League was not always free, but now that it is maybe people who haven't given it a chance in the past will try it out. For those on PC and Xbox, Game Pass offers sports fans a wide collection and variety of games, but at the cost of a monthly subscription. Hopefully the sports genre picks up with more truly free-to-play games in the future.