{"id":110306,"date":"2016-11-10T13:04:55","date_gmt":"2016-11-10T11:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=110306"},"modified":"2016-11-10T13:05:51","modified_gmt":"2016-11-10T11:05:51","slug":"the-10-most-popular-free-to-play-games-on-steam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/pc\/110306-the-10-most-popular-free-to-play-games-on-steam","title":{"rendered":"The 10 most popular free-to-play games on Steam"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Since the launch of games like Dota 2 and League of Legends, developers have realised that free-to-play games can be successful, with MMOs and other games opting for a free-to-play model\u00a0with optional payment.<\/p>\n<p>These microtransactions and DLC packs make up for a lack of retail sales and in the case of games like Dota 2, they allow for development to continue indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p>Free games are numerous on PC, with Steam boasting hundreds of free-to-play titles.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking to pick out the gems from the\u00a0horde of terrible free-to-play titles out there, we&#8217;ve got you covered.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the ten most popular free-to-play games on Steam:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/570\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\"><strong>Dota 2<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Dota 2 is the holy grail of free games, and offers players unlimited access to gameplay at no cost, with most microtransactions only applying cosmetic effects.<\/p>\n<p>The game is one of the most popular and well-known\u00a0MOBAs in the world, and definitely worth trying out if you haven&#8217;t played it yet.<\/p>\n<p>Dota 2 has South African servers and an active local community.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-cSFPIwMEq4\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/440\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Team Fortress 2<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Team Fortress 2 didn&#8217;t start off as free-to-play, but has been free since the inclusion of its cosmetic microtransactions.<\/p>\n<p>The game offers team-based, first-person shooter fun at absolutely no cost.<\/p>\n<p>There are many South African servers and players for Team Fortress 2.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h_c3iQImXZg\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/444090\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Paladins: Champions of the Realm<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Despite its controversial similarity to Overwatch (or because of it), Paladins has quickly become one of the most popular games on Steam.<\/p>\n<p>The game is a free-to-play hero-based shooter which features similar mechanics to Blizzard&#8217;s Overwatch.<\/p>\n<p>Paladins currently has no local servers, and South African gamers will have to play on European servers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EXLf5HsGdDY\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/304930\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Unturned<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Unturned is a simple, free-to-play zombie survival game with a host of features and a charming aesthetic reminiscent of games like Minecraft.<\/p>\n<p>The game can be played either solo or with friends.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5oWdy6R-i0s\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/230410\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Warframe<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Warframe is a co-op PvE third-person shooter that sees players take on the role of specialised space ninjas with fantastic abilities.<\/p>\n<p>While its microtransactions are more prominent than other games on this list, Warframe offers fast-paced, thrilling gameplay and combat.<\/p>\n<p>Warframe uses a P2P matchmaking system, meaning your latency is dependent on the ping to your session host.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qBs29vD83nE\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/363970\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Clicker Heroes<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Clicker Heroes is a simple, fun, and addictive game which is fun to play in your spare time.<\/p>\n<p>The game is online but not latency-dependent.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/blhyiecWeNw\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/386360\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Smite<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Smite is a MOBA which features a unique over-the-shoulder camera, placing the player directly in the centre of the action.<\/p>\n<p>The game does not have South African servers, and local gamers will have to deal with a ping of about 200ms.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/khsjzariacQ\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/236390\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>War Thunder<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>War Thunder is an extensive flight and vehicle simulator which allows gamers to compete in giant battle over air, land, and sea.<\/p>\n<p>The game also has no South African servers, and local gamers will have to play with a ping of about 200ms to EU servers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pzgPXOw2plI\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/238960\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Path of Exile<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Path of Exile is praised by its player base as &#8220;the game Diablo 3 should have been&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Featuring an extensive passive skill tree and unique item-based active skill system, PoE is worth trying out if you&#8217;re a fan of ARPGs like Diablo 2.<\/p>\n<p>The game has no South African servers, and latency is around 200ms to European servers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aO38Wai1eOQ\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/227940\/?snr=1_200_200_1420_1422\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Heroes &amp; Generals<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Heroes &amp; Generals is a fun, fast-paced WWII multiplayer shooter with similarities to Battlefield and Call of Duty.<\/p>\n<p>The game has a few slightly-invasive microtransactions and does not feature support for South African servers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J8aU08c1zHY\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Now read:\u00a0<a title=\"Permalink to 5 overlooked games to watch out for this month\" href=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/pc\/110284-5-overlooked-games-to-watch-out-for-this-month.html\" rel=\"bookmark\">5 overlooked games to watch out for this month<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Take a look at the great collection of free games available on Steam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232,"featured_media":110310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_enabled":true,"_sma_x_custom_text":"","_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17576,4197,1966,15397,17606,85],"class_list":["post-110306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pc","tag-best","tag-free","tag-games","tag-pc","tag-play","tag-steam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}