Tomb Raider is free on Steam, and you can keep it

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In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Square Enix has made the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot free for a limited time.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Millions of people around the world are isolating themselves to help slow the spread of coronavirus, and Square Enix says it's been "warmed" by the effort. In response, it's made 2013's Tomb Raider reboot free for a limited time, along with co-op spin-off Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. 

To claim the games, you can run through the complicated instructions on the Square Enix store, or you can just find them on Steam and add them to your library, which is much, much easier.

Unlike the more common free weekend promotions on Steam, once you claim your copies of Tomb Raider and Temple of Osiris, they're yours to keep for good.

Tomb Raider isn't exactly hot off the grill: There have been two followups since it released seven years ago, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, both of which are also discounted at the moment. But they aren't discounted to the low price of free, and it isn't as if Tomb Raider is chopped liver: We awarded it a 75% in our 2013 review, praising the spectacle of its scripted scenes. Its age also means that it shouldn't give lower-spec PCs any trouble: The official GPU recommendation is a Radeon HD 5870 or Nvidia GTX 480.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris shouldn't be overlooked, either. It's got mixed reviews on Steam, but our reviewer quite liked it, and given that it's free and many people are spending time at home, getting three other players together for co-op should be easier than usual.

The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm Pacific on March 23, so don't wait too long to grab both games if you want them.

We're maintaining a roundup of esports competitions and other gaming events that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic here. For more information on the coronavirus pandemic, visit the World Health Organization.

Tyler Wilde
Tyler Wilde
Editor-in-Chief, US

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.