Why this matters: about $70 in free PC games, but only if you claim before October 8
October 4, 2026: The Epic Games Store kicked off October 2026 with a strong pair of free PC games: System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (normally $29.99) and Buried Stars (normally $39.99), together about $70 in combined value.
Both are claimable from October 1 through October 8, 2026, and stay in your Epic library permanently once claimed. After the deadline, each returns to its normal price and two new free games take their place in the weekly rotation.
Image: Illustration of a dark sci-fi spaceship corridor with a glowing red rogue-AI eye on a monitor, evoking System Shock 2. Credit: Red Eye Eagle News / original AI illustration.
Editor's Highlight: The headliner is the remaster of one of the most influential games ever made, handed out free in its modernized edition.
Table of Contents
- The two free games at a glance
- System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster
- Buried Stars: a mystery visual novel
- How to claim before the deadline
- What comes next: October 8 to 15
- Bottom Line
- FAQ
- Sources
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Free games | System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster and Buried Stars |
| Normal prices | $29.99 and $39.99 (about $70 combined value) |
| Claim window | October 1 through October 8, 2026 |
| Deadline time | Claim by 8:00 AM Pacific / 11:00 AM Eastern on October 8 |
| Ownership | Free to keep in the Epic library permanently |
| Prior week's pair | Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles and Mechabellum (through October 1) |
| Next rotation | Out of Sight and TerraScape (October 8 to 15) |
The two free games at a glance
Epic's latest giveaway pairs two different experiences: a legendary sci-fi horror shooter remastered for modern PCs, and a Korean mystery visual novel with branching endings.
| Game | Genre | Metacritic |
| System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster | Action RPG / immersive sim | 84 (remaster; original scored 92) |
| Buried Stars | Mystery adventure visual novel | 83 |
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster
Nightdive Studios' remaster of the 1999 action RPG is the centerpiece of the week. The original was developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios, created by Ken Levine, best known for BioShock, the spiritual successor to System Shock. The remaster was released in 2025 and holds an 84 on Metacritic per Notebookcheck (the original sits at 92 per ComicBook.com).
In 2114, the player wakes from cryosleep aboard the starship Von Braun with no memory of identity or circumstances, while the ship has been overrun by deadly robots and hybrid mutants, seemingly the work of SHODAN, the rogue AI from the first System Shock.
An expedition had brought alien eggs back from Tau Ceti V, which hatched into the Many, a hive mind that twisted people into hybrids.
Gameplay blends first-person shooting, RPG mechanics, and survival horror into the immersive-sim formula the original helped define. At the start, players pick one of three character backgrounds: Marine (guns), Navy (repair and hacking), or O.S.A. (psionic powers), plus cross-play co-op multiplayer.
Analysis Note: The remaster adds rebuilt visual assets and modernized controls, ultra-widescreen support, up to 144 FPS, mod support, and 50 achievements.
Buried Stars: a mystery visual novel
The second free title is Buried Stars, a 2020 mystery adventure visual novel from Studio Largo and Line Games Corporation. It holds an 83 on Metacritic, per ComicBook.com.
When a live broadcast of a survival audition show is interrupted by the building's collapse, the trapped contestants and crew must find out what happened and who is responsible: a killer is among them. The player is Do-yoon Han, one of the contestants.
Gameplay centers on dialogue choices and branching narratives with multiple endings, as players search the ruined studio for clues and interact through a fictional social network called Phater.
How to claim before the deadline
Claiming the games is straightforward:
- Open the Epic Games Store on PC or in a web browser.
- Go to the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster and Buried Stars store pages.
- Click the free purchase option on each page before 8:00 AM Pacific / 11:00 AM Eastern on October 8, 2026.
- Both games are added to your library and remain free to keep permanently.
Practical Takeaway: Even if you do not plan to play them immediately, claiming them now costs nothing and locks them into your library forever, so do not wait until late on October 8.
What comes next: October 8 to 15
The next rotation (October 8 to 15) features Out of Sight, a horror puzzle adventure following Sophie, a blind girl escaping a haunted mansion, and TerraScape, a kingdom builder set on floating islands. For reference, the prior week's pair (through October 1) was Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles and Mechabellum.
Bottom Line
Claim both games free before 8:00 AM Pacific on October 8 to keep them permanently. Next week's rotation brings Out of Sight and TerraScape.
FAQ
How long do I have to claim the two games?
Both are claimable from October 1 through October 8, 2026, with a deadline of 8:00 AM Pacific / 11:00 AM Eastern on October 8. After that, they return to normal price.
Are the games free to keep forever once claimed?
Yes. Once claimed during the free window, both stay in your Epic Games Store library permanently at no cost.
What is the difference between the remaster's and the original's Metacritic scores?
The 25th Anniversary Remaster holds an 84 on Metacritic per Notebookcheck, while the 1999 original sits at 92 per ComicBook.com. The scores refer to different releases, so they are reported with their sources.
What are the next free games after October 8?
From October 8 to 15, the rotation features Out of Sight (a horror puzzle adventure about a blind girl named Sophie escaping a haunted mansion) and TerraScape (a kingdom builder on floating islands).
Can I play System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster with friends?
Yes. It supports cross-play co-op multiplayer, plus modernized controls, ultra-widescreen support, up to 144 FPS, mod support, and 50 achievements.
Sources
- ComicBook.com: $70 value, Oct 1-8 window, both games' premises.
- Notebookcheck: $69.98 total, prices, remaster details, trailer embed.
- ScreenHacker: claim times, remaster features, prior week's games.
- GG.deals: how to claim, Oct 8 deadline.
- ConsolePCGaming: co-op, achievements, Oct 8-15 rotation.
- YouTube: System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster trailer.
- Original AI illustration: hero image generated for Red Eye Eagle News.
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