Epic Games Store Kicks Off 15 Days Of Free Games With Popular City Simulation

Gamers are getting an early gift this year thanks to Epic Games Store. There's not only a great sale with tons of coupons and savings as much as 75% through Jan. 7, but Epic's popular free game giveaway is back for the holidays, this time with even more titles. Instead of 12 titles, this year customers have 15 games to look forward to. What is the first title lined up for all the good gamers out there?

The popular city simulator Cities: Skylines is first up, so get ready to plan your epic metropolis. The game's developers were quite excited to make the announcement on Twitter, but what did fans have to say? Is this the right way to kick off the holiday season?

Sadly, some gamers are less enthusiastic, as the version offered on Epic Games Store is without mod support. As such, those who are eager to mod might want to pick up the game on Steam instead. However, as one user argued, "I mean it isn't free on Steam." 

Indeed, it's hard to pass up free, but if the ability to mod is as important as it is to some gamers on Twitter, it may still be worth it to pick up the non-free release. Regardless, this giveaway could be a good way to encourage gamers to grab a version that may not be as popular as its Steam counterpart. But this begs the question: does Epic Games Store really have to sweat the competition?

Ever since Epic Games Store launched, it has challenged Steam's dominance in the digital storefront space. Offering a greater share of profits to its developers, major exclusive games like Fortnite, a direct line of communication between customers and creators, and much more, Epic Games Store is a formidable contender against the almighty Steam.

While the newer storefront hasn't quite dethroned the champion vendor, the former is gaining at a noticeable rate. After Epic Games Store gave away copies of GTA 5 and Civilization 6, the online store saw growth that might worry Steam. It remains to be seen if this year's round of holiday giveaways be enough to give Epic Games Store a lead over its competitor.

As with last year's holiday giveaway, fans will get a new game each day. Cities: Skylines may not be the killer app needed to beat Steam, but it's a nice start. Perhaps the ability to mod will eventually land on that port. In the meantime, gamers will have to wait to see what other free games will be on the way.