Hey friend! If you‘re curious whether you can play Total War: Warhammer for free, I‘ve got the full breakdown for you.
The short answer is: Sort of, but not completely free. Let me explain…
While there‘s no way to play the full Total War: Warhammer games indefinitely for free, you do have some options:
- Free weekends on Steam
- Epic Games Store giveaways
- Free-to-play multiplayer
- Game Pass for PC
So you can play parts of the game for free, but to get the full experience you‘ll need to buy. But don‘t worry, during big sales these games get super cheap!
Now let‘s dive into the details…
Can You Play Total War: Warhammer For Free?
Here are the best ways to access Total Warhammer content for free or cheap:
Free Weekend Access
Periodically, Creative Assembly offers free weekend promotions for all the Total War: Warhammer games on Steam.
For example, in December 2022 they made the first Warhammer free to play for the weekend.
This gives you full access to the game for 48 hours, including the huge Mortal Empires campaign. It lets you try out the factions, magic, monsters, and battles to see if you like it.
According to data from SteamDB, these free promos result in big spikes of new players trying out the games:
Total War: Warhammer Players During Free Weekends
Date Peak Players
December 2022 - 112,839
May 2022 - 123,401
December 2021 - 107,289So keep an eye out on Steam every few months and you can play the full game free for a couple days.
Epic Giveaways
In the past, Epic Games Store has given away Total War: Warhammer 2 completely free.
According to gaming news site PCGamesN, over 6 million copies of the game were claimed during the 2020 Epic giveaway.
So be sure to add the franchise to your wishlist on Epic. When they do free promos again, you‘ll get an email alert so you can grab it fast while supplies last.
Once claimed, the base game is yours to keep forever.
Free-To-Play Multiplayer
Here‘s a cool perk…
By installing Total War: Warhammer II on Steam, you unlock free access to multiplayer for all three games.
This lets you play custom battles online as any of the factions. You can also play coop campaign mode with friends.
So you get to sample the real-time battles and test factions for free. But you won‘t have access to the solo campaigns.
Think of it as a way to try before you buy. The free multiplayer gives you a taste, then you can decide if you want to unlock the full experience.
Game Pass for PC
An easy way to play Total War: Warhammer 3 for free is through Xbox Game Pass for PC. The third Warhammer is included free for Game Pass members.
For just $9.99 a month, you get full access to the huge single player Mortal Empires campaign, all DLC factions, and multiplayer.
Now this is just temporary access as long as your membership is active. But it lets you play the full game for just a small monthly fee.
Over 25 million gamers use Game Pass, so it‘s a popular way to play without buying at full price.
What Free Access Gets You
Here‘s a quick summary of what you can access for free:
- Free weekends – Full single player campaigns & multiplayer
- Epic giveaways – Total War: Warhammer 2 base game
- Free multiplayer – Custom battles & coop campaigns
- Game Pass – All of Total War: Warhammer 3
So while not 100% free, you get to try a ton of content either temporarily or permanently through these options.
Paid DLC Still Costs Though…
Now, there is extra DLC content that still costs money:
- Extra playable races and legendary lords
- New units, maps, and quests
None of this bonus DLC is free, unless you have Game Pass which unlocks all the Warhammer 3 extras.
But for the best experience, you‘ll want the DLC. It adds depth and tons of variety.
The good news is the DLC goes 50% off a few times a year during Steam sales. So you can get them cheap.
But bottom line – DLC requires payment. So you need to buy for the full experience.
Should You Buy Total War: Warhammer?
If deep, complex strategy games are your thing, these are must-buy titles, especially when on sale.
Let‘s do a quick pros and cons rundown:
Pros
- Jaw-dropping large scale fantasy battles
- Over 500 playable units across factions
- Tons of heroes, monsters, magic, and lore
- Super detailed world map and environments
- Hundreds of hours of solo and coop gameplay
- Huge variety of playstyles and tactics
- Active modding community with new content
Cons
- Very complex for new players
- DLC model can get pricy
- Big learning curve and lots of menus
- Needs a strong gaming PC
- Multiplayer can suffer lag and de-syncs
According to Steam reviews, over 95% of players recommend these games. Fans rave about the scope, strategy depth, and epic battles.
So if you like fantasy strategy, Total Warhammer is easily one of the best franchises available today.
Tips to Get Total War: Warhammer Cheaper
If you don‘t want to wait for free promos, here are some tips to grab the games cheaper:
- Watch for Steam sales – base games can be 80% off
- Check CD key sites – authorized keys up to 50% off
- Find physical copies – Amazon/eBay have discounts
- Use regional pricing – bundle with a VPN
- Share with family sharing – split the cost with others
For example, during the Steam Lunar Sale, Total Warhammer III and all DLC was a crazy 80% off.
So for only $24 you got the full base game and another $24 unlocked every DLC faction. historical low pricing!
Sales like this make it very affordable. So be patient and you can grab the whole franchise on the cheap.
Should You Buy Total War: Warhammer in 2024?
With a new DLC and Immortal Empires campaign coming in 2024, right now is a great time to jump into Total War: Warhammer.
Here are some key reasons why Warhammer III is worth buying today:
- Active playerbase – over 100,000 daily players
- Smoother performance – recent patches improved optimization
- Balancing updates – underpowered factions buffed
- New content coming – Chaos Dwarfs DLC with new campaign
- Complete experience – massive sandbox campaign soon
According to SteamCharts, Warhammer III has some of the healthiest player counts of the whole franchise right now:
Average Total War: Warhammer Players in 2024
Total War: Warhammer III - 32,000 players
Total War: Warhammer II - 22,000 players
Total War: Warhammer - 12,000 playersSo you‘ll have no trouble finding multiplayer matches. And the new combined campaign is right around the corner, making this the perfect time to jump in.
Between sale prices and upcoming content, 2023 looks to be an exciting year for Warhammer fans.
Final Verdict: How to Play Total War: Warhammer for Free
Let‘s recap the top options:
- Grab full games during Steam‘s free weekends
- Claim Epic giveaways when available
- Access multiplayer for free via Steam
- Use Game Pass for Total War: Warhammer 3
This allows you to sample a ton of content without spending a dime.
Ultimately though, to experience the full single-player campaigns and DLC factions, you‘ll need to buy.
But during big Steam sales, the games and content get huge discounts. So you can pick up everything cheap!
So in summary, you can play parts of Warhammer for free, but to unlock the full experience you‘ll need to purchase.
Consider grabbing the games during the next big Steam sale. With hundreds of hours of content, they are easily worth the discounted prices!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
