Xbox AAA first-party game made free for a limited-time, no Game Pass required

Congratulations on making it to the end of what I’m sure has been another busy week. Your reward? A very strong new edition of Xbox’s Free Play Days.

If you’re not familiar with Free Play Days, it happens on a weekly basis and sees Xbox make a select number of titles free.

It varies whether you require a Game Pass subscription or not. For instance, this week, one major title is free for all Xbox users while the second requires a Game Pass subscription.

Both games are free to enjoy from now until the end of the day on September 20.

Sea of Thieves is one of the best games in Xbox’s line-up, and it’s currently free for all

Xbox Game Studios

This weekend, you can play Sea of Thieves with no limitations for free, with absolutely no Xbox Game Pass membership required.

It’s the latest Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition that’s available as the title has been around since 2018, as I’m sure you’re aware.

In this first-party game developed by Rare, players take to the high seas, enjoying open-world exploration and adventure either alone or alongside friends.

You’ll plunder lost treasure, partake in battles, defeat sea monsters, and much more.

Sea of Thieves remains well supported, with Season 21 now underway; the latest season brings with it Fight Nights, Emissaries of Fortune bonuses, double Doubloons in Blige Rat Weekenders, and Last Ship Standing battles.

It’s no surprise that Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition boasts a very respectable score of 88% over on Steam.

“A very good game to gather with friends and have fun,” reads one review, while another added, “The lore is awesome and the gameplay is pure fun.”

Sea of Thieves would ordinarily set you back $39.99 but if you want to continue playing past the end of Free Play Days, you can secure it for $13.99 for a limited-time. Offers and pricing will vary by region.

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Xbox Game Pass subscribers can additionally try a 2026 FPS

Team17

If you do have a Game Pass subscription, Sea of Thieves probably isn’t going to be of much interest as it is included on the service.

Thankfully, you can also try Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, an FPS released by Expression Games and Team17 earlier this year.

The game hasn’t had the smoothest of launches, securing a score of 71 on Metacritic, with a current user score of just 5.3.

Most of the criticism is directed towards the fact that Hell Let Loose: Vietnam doesn’t have a campaign, so you’re limited to online play.

Don’t be put off by these scores though. There are plenty of players who have rated the game highly and, most importantly, you have a low risk opportunity to try it for free.

Within the title, players are taken back to the Vietnam War, engaging in huge 50v50 battles.

There’s also an offer running on this one, albeit with a smaller discount.

If you want to continue playing Hell Let Loose: Vietnam past the end of the Free Play Days event, it’s available to purchase for $35.99 instead of $39.99.

Again, there’s no limit on how far you can proceed in both titles, but free access expires at the end of the day on Sunday September 20.