GamesBonusEmpiregamesbonusempire.com

Updated weekly · September 2026

Every free-to-play bonus worth claiming, in one place

GamesBonusEmpire.com is an independent site run by players in Australia. We track welcome packs, daily log-in rewards, season-pass freebies and limited-time events across the biggest free-to-play games on PC, console and mobile — then tell you straight which ones are worth your time and which are just noise.

No paid placements Real accounts, real testing PC · PlayStation · Xbox · Switch · Mobile AU & NZ focus

Bonus watch Live this week

The best new-player rewards we verified this week.

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Tactics revival — season 4 welcome packNew accounts · no purchase needed
3 heroes free
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Co-op farming sim — 7-day log-in chainEnds 21 Sep · all platforms
Rare mount
Arena shooter — double XP weekendFri 6pm – Mon 6am AEST
2× XP
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Open-world RPG — free expansion trial48 hours from first log-in
Full access
140+free-to-play games tracked
Weeklyevery bonus re-checked on a live account
0sponsored ratings, ever
Since 2023independent and reader-funded

This week's best bonuses

We claim every bonus on a fresh account before it goes on the list. Our rating out of 10 weighs real value, how long it takes to unlock, and whether the game is actually good once the freebies run out.

Welcome bonus By Sam · Verified 12 September 2026 · 6 min read 9.1

The most generous welcome pack we've seen in a tactics game

Most "welcome packs" hand you a currency you can't spend on anything useful. This one gives new players three fully-levelled heroes and a week of premium pass access — enough to play the real game, not the tutorial version of it. We finished the first campaign act without touching the shop.

The catch: the pack disappears if you log out before completing chapter 2, and the game doesn't warn you. Set aside 40 minutes for your first session and you'll keep everything.

Read the full breakdown →
Daily rewards By Priya · Verified 9 September 2026 · 4 min read 8.4

A log-in calendar that respects your time (finally)

Seven days, seven rewards, and the good stuff is on day 3 rather than day 30. You can miss a day without resetting the chain, which is rare. The day-7 mount is cosmetic but it's genuinely lovely, and the sim underneath is the co-op game we rated highest this year.

Cross-platform progress works, so claim on your phone during the week and play properly on the weekend.

Read the full breakdown →
Event By Sam · Verified 5 September 2026 · 5 min read 7.2

Double XP weekends: good for grinding, bad for your sleep

Double XP is the oldest trick in the free-to-play book, and it still works. We measured how far a level-1 account gets in six hours during the event versus a normal weekend: about 2.3× the progress, mostly because the bonus also applies to challenge rewards. Worth it if you were going to play anyway; not worth rearranging your weekend for.

Read the full breakdown →

Game reviews

Bonuses are only worth chasing in a game you'll keep playing. Every game on the site gets a full review, scored on the game itself — not on the freebies.

How we rate a bonus

A big number on a banner means nothing. Here's the four-step check every bonus on this site goes through before it's listed.

STEP 1

Claim it on a fresh account

We register a brand-new account, follow the exact steps a new player would, and time how long it takes to actually receive the reward.

STEP 2

Check the fine print

Expiry windows, region locks, platform restrictions, and whether the reward vanishes if you skip a day. If it's hidden, we say so.

STEP 3

Measure the real value

What would the reward cost in the in-game shop, and does it change how you play? Cosmetics are nice; a head-start that skips the grind is better.

STEP 4

Judge the game underneath

A great bonus in a bad game is a waste of an afternoon. The game gets its own review, and it has to score at least 7 to make the list.

Guides & bonus types explained

Plain-English guides for players who want the rewards without the homework.

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Welcome & starter packs

What new-player bundles usually include, which ones are actually generous, and the ones that quietly expire.

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Daily log-in rewards

How streak calendars work, which games forgive a missed day, and how to claim on mobile so you never break a chain.

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Season & battle passes

Free track versus paid track, how far you'll get without paying, and when a pass is worth it for your play style.

Limited-time events

Double XP, holiday events and crossovers — converted to AEST/NZST so you know exactly when they start and end.

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Cross-play & cross-save

Which games let you claim rewards on one platform and play on another, and how to link accounts without losing progress.

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Spotting a fake "free" bonus

Dark patterns, hidden purchase requirements, and how to tell a genuine reward from a sales funnel in disguise.

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions we get most often.

Are these bonuses really free?

Yes. We only list rewards you can claim without spending money. If a bonus needs a purchase to unlock, it doesn't go on the site — and if a "free" reward turns out to have a hidden cost, we pull it and explain why.

Which platforms do you cover?

PC (Steam, Epic and standalone launchers), PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and iOS/Android. Every listing shows which platforms the bonus applies to, because it's often not all of them.

How do you make money?

GamesBonusEmpire.com is reader-funded, with some clearly marked affiliate links to storefronts. Affiliate links never affect a rating, and we don't accept payment for coverage or placement on any list.

Do event times apply to Australia?

Every event on the site is converted to AEST (and NZST where it differs) so you're not doing timezone maths at midnight. Publishers usually quote UTC or US Pacific time — we do the conversion for you.

Can I suggest a game or a bonus?

Please do. Email us with the game name and where you saw the reward, and we'll test it on a fresh account. Reader tips are how we catch most of the short-notice events.

About GamesBonusEmpire.com

GamesBonusEmpire.com started in 2023 as a shared spreadsheet between two friends who were sick of missing log-in rewards. It's now an independent, reader-funded site for players in Australia and New Zealand who want a straight answer to one question: is this bonus — and this game — worth my time?

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Sam Ortega

Co-founder & reviews editor. Fifteen years covering PC and console games; keeps the spreadsheet of every welcome pack we've ever claimed.

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Priya Nair

Co-founder & guides editor. Writes the beginner guides and the fine-print checks; has never once broken a log-in streak.

Contact & tips

Found a bonus we've missed, spotted an expired one, or want to argue about a score? We read everything.

Email: hello@gamesbonusempire.com  ·  Press: press@gamesbonusempire.com