Quick answer: Epic is giving away exactly two qualifying PC base games in the U.S. this week—Breathedge and Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition. [1] Each is reduced from a regular U.S. price of $24.99 to $0 from August 27 through September 3, 2026, and a completed checkout adds the claimed game to that Epic account rather than providing a weekend-only trial. [1]
The $49.98 figure is simple addition of the two listed $24.99 regular prices, not an estimate of personal value or future resale value. Epic’s feed identifies both active entries as BASE_GAME offers with a zero promotional price for the U.S. storefront. [1]
Breathedge
A first-person, single-player survival adventure that sends a reluctant space traveler into a colorful field of wreckage after a funeral voyage goes catastrophically wrong. Oxygen, radiation, temperature and other hazards make exploration a planning exercise, while absurd tools and an immortal chicken keep the mood deliberately unserious. [3]
- Style: humorous outer-space survival and crafting
- Best for: patient explorers who enjoy scavenging and base building
- Regular / promo: $24.99 / $0 in the U.S.
Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition
A horse-racing and stable-management game built around restoring a family legacy. Breed and train horses, improve the homestead, race as the jockey, examine pedigrees and coats, create custom horses, ride across open environments and join online competition when you want other players in the mix. [8]
- Style: racing, breeding and equestrian management
- Best for: horse fans who like progression as much as race-day action
- Regular / promo: $24.99 / $0 in the U.S.
A wishlist entry is not a claim. For each title, select Get, confirm the base game and a $0 total, finish checkout before the deadline, then verify it appears in your library or transaction history. You may install a successfully claimed game later; the deadline is for completing the license transaction, not finishing the download.
Space survival • crafting • base building • single-player
Breathedge: a funeral trip, a wreck and one immortal chicken
Regular U.S. price: $24.99 • Promotional price: $0.00
Epic’s canonical U.S. page is the claim destination for Breathedge, while the active promotion record uses catalog ID 8401414902e84f2cb9afa9142f051d32, namespace 08ae29e4f70a4b62aa055e383381aa82 and product slug breathedge. [2] [1]
RedRuins Softworks is the developer and HypeTrain Digital is the publisher. [3] The game entered Steam Early Access on September 13, 2018, then reached full release on February 25, 2021. [5] [4]
Premise: survival amid the leftovers of a galactic disaster
The setup turns a solemn errand into cosmic slapstick. The protagonist is transporting his grandfather’s ashes to a galactic funeral when the liner crashes, scattering passengers, cargo and infrastructure across open space. The immediate objective is survival, but the journey becomes an investigation of what happened and a search for a route through the enormous debris field. HypeTrain’s official overview describes exploration, base construction, vehicles and the game’s intentionally comic approach to the survival genre. [3]
The wreckage gives the game its identity. Instead of walking from forest to cave, you push away from a shelter into three-dimensional space, judge how far your oxygen can carry you, search broken compartments and decide when to turn back. Distance is a resource. A promising object can be visible but still unsafe to reach until equipment improves. Oxygen limits are joined by hazards such as electricity, radiation, heat and cold, so a new route often requires the right protection rather than bravery alone. The official publisher materials frame these conditions as part of its exploration and survival loop. [3]
Gameplay: gather, craft, extend your reach
Progress is built around retrieving materials from the disaster and turning them into tools, equipment and infrastructure. Early excursions are constrained, so useful upgrades do more than raise a number: they change which parts of the field are practical to visit. That creates a recognizable survival rhythm—spot a destination, work out what blocks it, gather what the solution requires, return with better equipment and use the newly opened area to feed the next objective.
Later, you can build and decorate a station, provide it with oxygen and electricity, and use solar panels as part of its support systems. Vehicles add another way to cross the wreckage and reduce the friction of longer journeys. Those features broaden the experience beyond a chain of short oxygen runs, although they do not turn it into an unrestricted construction sandbox. The official description presents building, power, oxygen and transport as tools in the larger adventure. [3]
The humor is not confined to dialogue. Improvised equipment, bureaucratic absurdity and an immortal chicken repeatedly undercut the danger. That tone will be a major reason to play for some people and a caution for others. If you prefer survival stories to maintain dread and realism, the jokes may disrupt the atmosphere. If you like systems but find the genre’s usual grimness exhausting, the comic framing may make repeated collection trips easier to enjoy.
Reasons to claim Breathedge
- The zero-dollar week removes the purchase decision while preserving the option to play later.
- Three-dimensional wreckage exploration gives familiar survival systems a distinctive setting.
- Oxygen, environmental protection and traversal upgrades create understandable short-term goals.
- Station construction and vehicles expand the loop after the opening scavenging phase.
- The immortal-chicken motif and deadpan satire offer a lighter alternative to severe survival fiction.
- Its published 7 GB storage figure is relatively modest, though launcher overhead and updates can change real disk use.
Cautions before playing
- Solo play and resource gathering are central; this is not an online cooperative survival game.
- Repeated trips and oxygen management can feel methodical rather than immediately action-heavy.
- The comedy is broad and persistent, so it may not suit players seeking a serious space drama.
- Open-space movement can be disorienting for people sensitive to first-person motion.
- No dedicated official accessibility inventory was found, so required accommodations need individual confirmation.
- The specifications below come from publisher-supplied Steam metadata and are not an independently confirmed Epic-SKU guarantee.
Who is Breathedge best for?
This is the stronger of the two weekly claims for players who enjoy learning a hostile environment one upgrade at a time. It rewards curiosity, route planning and tolerance for a deliberate gather-craft-return loop. The most satisfying moments are likely to come when a location that once seemed impossibly distant becomes routine because your suit, tools or vehicle changed the calculation. Players who like scanning a large scene for small clues and useful objects should have plenty to investigate.
It is less obvious for someone wanting constant combat, multiplayer teamwork or a scientifically sober account of disaster in orbit. The satire is part of the design rather than an occasional side joke. Claiming now still makes sense if you are uncertain: a completed $0 order lets you test that tone later without converting the promotion into a recommendation that everyone must prioritize it.
Windows requirements and storage
Publisher-supplied Steam specifications call for a 64-bit Windows build and 7 GB of available storage at both tiers. The minimum lists Windows 7, 8 or 10 x64, a third-generation Intel Core i3, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 graphics and DirectX 10; the recommended tier lists Windows 7, 8 or 10 x64, a fourth-generation Core i5, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1060 graphics and DirectX 11. [4]
Published minimum
- OS: Windows 7 / 8 / 10, 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Core i3, third generation
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
- DirectX: Version 10
- Storage: 7 GB available space
Published recommended
- OS: Windows 7 / 8 / 10, 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5, fourth generation
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 7 GB available space
These are publisher-supplied Steam requirements, not performance measurements by The IT Guys and not an independently confirmed specification for Epic’s package. A PC matching the list can still vary because of drivers, laptop power limits, background applications, resolution, patches and launcher packaging. Check the current Epic listing and allow extra free space for downloads, temporary installation files and future updates.
Controller, languages and accessibility notes
Steam marks Breathedge with full controller support. Its publisher-supplied language table lists interface and subtitle support for English, Russian, French, German, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Latin American Spanish and Turkish; full audio is listed for English and Russian. [4] Platform packages and metadata can differ, so treat this as useful Steam-supplied guidance rather than a promise independently confirmed for the Epic SKU. Verify a required language and input method in Epic’s current launcher listing before relying on it.
We did not find a dedicated official inventory covering remapping, subtitle presentation, text scaling, color filters, screen readers, motion reduction or other game-specific accessibility features. That absence is not evidence that every such feature is missing. Players who need a particular accommodation should consult current in-game documentation, Epic’s listing or the developer’s support channel before investing download time or purchasing accessories.
Official Breathedge video
Publisher-channel video: watch “Breathedge – Launch Trailer” directly on YouTube. The title and HypeTrain Digital author identity were checked through YouTube oEmbed. [6]
Claim / Download Breathedge Free on EpicView / Purchase Breathedge on Epic
Horse racing • breeding • stable management • solo and online
Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition: rebuild a racing legacy
Regular U.S. price: $24.99 • Promotional price: $0.00
Epic’s canonical U.S. page is the claim destination for Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition, whose active catalog record uses ID 8f1fcf01e32e4fd4b2ae0a9737992760, namespace f570d80aa4fe463ca53c4410d1c75e1e and slug rival-stars-horse-racing-dd09de. [7] [1]
PikPok identifies itself as the developer and publisher, while the store’s seller or corporate identity is Prodigy Design Limited. [8] The U.S. release date is June 24, 2020; PikPok’s New Zealand announcement says June 25, a one-day calendar difference consistent with the regions’ time zones rather than evidence of two separate games. [10] [11]
Premise: bring the family homestead back to life
The story gives the management systems an emotional frame. You inherit a rundown homestead and the remains of a family racing tradition, then work to restore both. That means the next race is connected to a larger project: winnings and progress help improve the stable and facilities, while better breeding, training and care prepare the next generation of horses. PikPok’s official pages emphasize the family legacy, homestead restoration, breeding and racing as the heart of the desktop edition. [8]
This is not only a menu-driven owner simulation. During races, you can take the jockey’s position and make decisions on the track. Motion-captured horse animation and race commentary are intended to give those events a broadcast-like energy, while the management layer provides the long-term reason to care which horse is entering. [9] The contrast is the appeal: a quiet session comparing pedigrees can lead directly into a race where timing and positioning matter.
Breeding, genetics and the stable loop
Breeding is more than choosing two names from a list. The game tracks pedigrees and genetics, with coats and traits shaping the foals that become future racers. Training develops the horses you decide to keep, and facility improvements support the stable’s growth. That creates room for several kinds of goals: pursue performance, build a visually distinctive line, complete a personal collection or simply follow the horses that emerge from your choices. PikPok presents genetics, pedigrees, coat variety and foals as core parts of the experience. [9]
Horse Creator offers a more direct route when you want to design rather than wait for inheritance to produce a particular look. The broader package also includes Photo Mode, which fits naturally with custom coats and scenic riding. These features are not substitutes for the progression loop, but they give creative players something to do between competitive goals and make the stable feel more personal.
Beyond the oval: Cross Country, open riding and social play
The desktop edition stretches beyond conventional track events. Cross Country asks horse and rider to navigate a course rather than concentrate only on a finishing sprint. Open riding areas include a ranch and the Swiss Alps, providing a less pressured way to spend time with a horse and see the animation outside a race. The official game page lists story play, multiplayer racing, breeding, Horse Creator and varied riding activities as part of the desktop experience. [8]
Online multiplayer adds direct competition when solo progression is not enough. Betting Party offers another group-oriented mode using in-game currency, not a claim here about cash wagering or real-money returns. That distinction matters: the feature is framed as entertainment inside the game economy. Players and parents should still inspect current settings and purchase options themselves, because an in-game currency label does not describe every account control or regional storefront policy.
Reasons to claim Rival Stars
- It combines hands-on jockey racing with a longer stable-management arc.
- Breeding, genetics, pedigrees, coats and foals support personal projects beyond winning one event.
- Horse Creator and Photo Mode provide creative outlets.
- Cross Country and open riding at the ranch or Swiss Alps vary the pace.
- Story play and online multiplayer accommodate both private progression and direct competition.
- The publisher lists only 3 GB of storage, although updates and launcher overhead require additional room.
Cautions before playing
- Players uninterested in horses or breeding may find the progression too specialized.
- Repeated training, racing and facility upgrades are part of the intended loop.
- Online modes require broadband and may depend on current service availability and population.
- Betting Party uses in-game currency; families may still want to review account and purchase settings.
- No affirmative official accessibility feature list was found; absence of a list does not prove lack of support.
- The Steam specifications and controller labels below are publisher supplied, not independent Epic-package testing.
Who is Rival Stars best for?
This is an easy claim for players who already enjoy horses, breeding systems or sports-career progression. It can serve someone who wants active races, someone who would rather optimize a stable, and someone who mostly wants to create attractive horses and photograph them. Because those activities feed a shared collection, changing moods does not necessarily mean abandoning the save. A racing session can advance the management plan; a relaxed ride can provide a break from performance targets.
It may also suit strategy-minded players who do not usually buy sports games. Pedigrees, genetics, training and facility priorities create decisions that extend beyond reflexes. Conversely, action-focused players should know that ownership and development are not decorative menus around an arcade racer—they are a substantial part of the identity. The free claim lets you test that balance later without deciding today whether the management pace fits.
Windows requirements and storage
Publisher-supplied Steam specifications require a 64-bit processor and operating system. The minimum lists Windows 7 SP1 or later, or Windows 10; an Intel Core i5; 4 GB RAM; Intel HD Graphics 4000; DirectX 11; broadband internet; and 3 GB available storage. The recommended tier lists Windows 10, an Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 480 with 3 GB, DirectX 12, broadband and 3 GB storage. [10]
Published minimum
- OS: Windows 7 SP1+ / Windows 10, 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband internet
- Storage: 3 GB available space
Published recommended
- OS: Windows 10, 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GTX 1060 or RX 480, 3 GB
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband internet
- Storage: 3 GB available space
Those numbers are publisher-supplied Steam metadata, not a performance guarantee from The IT Guys and not an independent confirmation of Epic’s current package. Broadband is explicitly listed even though the game includes story content; online features naturally depend on connectivity. Reserve more than the bare 3 GB for download staging and updates, and verify Epic’s current launcher requirements if your PC is near the minimum.
Controller, languages and accessibility notes
Steam marks the game with full controller support and lists English interface and full audio. Its interface-language list also includes French, Italian, German, Spanish from Spain, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Latin American Spanish, Traditional Chinese and Turkish. [10] We do not describe those additional languages as subtitle support because the supplied table does not establish that claim. Platform metadata and builds can differ, so confirm any essential language or input requirement in Epic’s current listing.
We found no affirmative, dedicated official list of accessibility features for the desktop edition. That does not establish that the game lacks remapping, display, audio or assistance options; it means this article cannot responsibly promise them. Anyone who depends on a particular feature should seek current screenshots or support confirmation before downloading or making a hardware purchase.
Official Rival Stars Horse Racing video
Developer-channel video: watch “Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition – Available now on Steam for PC and Mac!” directly on YouTube. The PikPokGames author identity was checked through YouTube oEmbed, and PikPok embeds the video on its official game page. [12] [8]
Claim / Download Rival Stars Horse Racing Free on EpicView / Purchase Rival Stars Horse Racing on Epic
Which free game should you try first?
Choose Breathedge first if your ideal evening involves poking through an unfamiliar environment, solving practical survival problems and gradually expanding how far you can travel. Its humor, first-person perspective and constrained oxygen runs make it the more eccentric and potentially more polarizing option. It asks for patience with collection and repeated travel, but pays that patience back with new routes, tools, vehicles and a station you can develop.
Choose Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition first if you want a clearer long-term career structure or already feel attached to equestrian themes. Races provide immediate objectives, while breeding and facility development give every event a place in a larger plan. Open riding, creative horse design and photography can soften the pressure when you do not want to optimize.
There is no need to choose at checkout. Both offers are separate $0 base-game transactions, and claiming one does not claim the other. [1] The practical approach is to complete both claims while the promotion is active, verify both licenses, then install only the title that matches your current mood and disk space.
How to claim both Epic games for $0
- Open the canonical Epic pages for Breathedge and Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition. Avoid similarly named search results, add-ons or editions.
- Sign in to the Epic account that should own the licenses. If your household uses several accounts, confirm the displayed email or account name before ordering.
- On the first page, verify the selected item is the base game, the regular U.S. price is shown as $24.99 and the promotional total is $0.00. Regional pricing and eligibility can differ.
- Select Get. Adding the title to a wishlist does not start or complete the ownership transaction; a wishlist is a reminder, not a license.
- Review the checkout and finish the zero-dollar order before Thursday, September 3 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Do not interpret an open cart, spinning button or unsubmitted confirmation screen as success.
- Check your Epic library or transaction history for the completed title. A receipt or library entry is stronger confirmation than remembering that you clicked the page.
- Repeat the entire checkout for the second game. These are two offers, so verify that both Breathedge and Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition appear.
- Install now or later with the Epic Games Launcher. Once the $0 claim is complete, the promotional deadline does not require you to finish downloading by September 3.
Checkout safety: If the total is not $0, stop before submitting payment. Refresh the page, confirm the U.S. region and correct base-game listing, and check whether the promotion is still within its scheduled window. This article does not authorize a paid purchase.
What is shown as upcoming after September 3?
Alone With You is the only qualifying upcoming zero offer identified here
At the August 27 check, Epic’s U.S. feed shows Alone With You as an upcoming BASE_GAME zero-price offer scheduled from September 3 through September 10, 2026. [1] This article does not call additional titles announced merely because none beyond that were shown in the qualifying feed snapshot; upcoming merchandising can change, and the live feed should be checked again when the window begins.
Breathedge also has a regular 25% sale shown after September 3, but that later discount is not a continuation of the giveaway and should not be described as free-to-keep. [1] To obtain it for $0, finish the current giveaway checkout before the September 3 deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Are both games really free to keep?
Epic’s U.S. promotions feed lists two active BASE_GAME offers at a zero promotional price for the August 27–September 3 window. Complete each $0 checkout while active, and the resulting license remains with that Epic account rather than expiring like a free-play weekend. [1]
What exact time do the giveaways end?
Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. EDT, which is 15:00 UTC. [1] Claim early because regional eligibility, account checks or a last-minute connection problem can delay checkout.
Does a wishlist entry count as claiming a game?
No. Wishlisting only saves the listing for later. Select Get, complete the $0 order and confirm the game in your Epic library or transaction history before the deadline.
Must I install the games before September 3?
No. The time limit applies to completing each zero-dollar transaction. After a successful claim, you can install later through the Epic Games Launcher.
Are these full base games or add-ons?
The qualifying U.S. feed entries are classified as BASE_GAME offers. [1] Still verify the product name and $0 total at checkout rather than assuming every related item or add-on is included.
Is Breathedge multiplayer?
No. The cited publisher and Steam materials present it as a single-player survival adventure. [4] Players looking for cooperative base building should not infer it from the survival label.
Does Rival Stars include online play?
Yes, PikPok lists online multiplayer racing in addition to story, breeding and other solo activities. [8] Online availability can depend on broadband, service status and player population.
Do the games support controllers?
Publisher-supplied Steam metadata marks full controller support for both titles. [4] [10] That is supporting information, not independent testing of Epic’s builds or every controller model.
What accessibility features are available?
We did not find a dedicated official accessibility inventory for either game. The absence of such a page does not prove that a feature is unavailable. If you require remapping, text adjustment, motion controls, subtitle options or another accommodation, verify it with current game-specific support information before downloading.
What happens to Breathedge after September 3?
The zero-price giveaway ends, and Epic’s feed separately shows a regular 25% sale afterward. [1] A post-deadline discount is not a free claim, so complete the $0 transaction during the current window.
What is upcoming next week?
The checked U.S. feed shows Alone With You as an upcoming BASE_GAME zero offer for September 3–10. [1] Treat that as a time-sensitive preview and recheck Epic when the new window starts.
Official sources and verification
- Epic Games Store U.S. free-games promotions feed — active and upcoming offer identity, classification, price and UTC windows.
- Breathedge on Epic Games Store — canonical U.S. claim and purchase page.
- HypeTrain Digital: Breathedge — official publisher overview, developer/publisher identity and gameplay features.
- Breathedge on Steam — publisher-supplied release, Windows requirements, controller and language metadata.
- RedRuins Softworks Early Access announcement — September 13, 2018 Early Access timing.
- HypeTrain Digital: Breathedge – Launch Trailer — official video; title and author checked through YouTube oEmbed.
- Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition on Epic Games Store — canonical U.S. claim and purchase page.
- PikPok: Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition — official developer/publisher overview and embedded video provenance.
- Rival Stars Horse Racing official franchise site — official gameplay, breeding and racing overview.
- Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition on Steam — publisher-supplied U.S. release, requirements, controller and language metadata.
- PikPok launch announcement — New Zealand June 25 launch-date wording.
- PikPokGames: Rival Stars Horse Racing Desktop Edition video — official video; title and author checked through YouTube oEmbed.
Claim both games before the weekly window closes
Complete the separate $0 checkouts, verify both games in your Epic library and install whenever you are ready. [1]
Claim / Download Breathedge Free on EpicClaim / Download Rival Stars Horse Racing Free on Epic
Final deadline reminder: claim Breathedge and Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition by Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. EDT (15:00 UTC).