How To Get Elden Ring Free?
Quick answer: Elden Ring costs $59.99 on Steam and has no free-to-play version, no Game Pass inclusion, and no PS Plus inclusion as of this writing. The legitimate no-cost route is Snakzy, a free rewards app that pays coins for completing offers, which convert into a Steam gift card that covers the purchase.
If you’ve been circling this one for a while without buying it, that’s a reasonable way to approach a $59.99 purchase, especially for a game this demanding to actually finish. This guide covers what Elden Ring actually is, its real critical reception, what it costs, where you can play it, whether it’s available free anywhere else, and the step-by-step method for getting it without paying upfront.
| Game Info | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $59.99 on Steam (Steam store page) |
| Release date | February 25, 2022 |
| Developer | FromSoftware |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Metacritic (PC) | Mid-90s, widely cited as one of the best-reviewed games of its generation (Metacritic) |
| Steam user reviews | Very Positive, 94% of over 425,000 English reviews (Steam) |
| Main story length | Widely reported in the 45–60 hour range depending on playstyle |
| Full completion | Commonly cited well past 100 hours |
Is Elden Ring Free?
No, Elden Ring is a paid game priced at $59.99 on Steam, with no free-to-play version. It has never been added to Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus, and FromSoftware has given no indication that it will be. The only legitimate no-cost route is earning enough through a rewards app like Snakzy to redeem a Steam gift card that covers the price.
What Is Elden Ring?
Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, released February 25, 2022, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S simultaneously. The world was co-created with author George R.R. Martin, and the game puts you in the role of the Tarnished, exploring the Lands Between while fighting demanding bosses and piecing together a fractured story through exploration rather than a linear cutscene-driven plot.
It’s widely regarded as one of the best-reviewed games of the past decade, sitting in the mid-90s on Metacritic, and carries a Very Positive Steam rating from over 425,000 English-language reviews at 94% positive. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022 and the Golden Joystick Ultimate Game of the Year award the same year. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, released in 2024, added roughly 30 more hours of content and was itself well reviewed, scoring around 92 on Metacritic.
How Much Does Elden Ring Cost?
Elden Ring costs $59.99 on Steam, the price it has held consistently since launch. Unlike many titles that see steep 70–90% discounts within a year or two, Elden Ring’s price has stayed comparatively firm, with historical sales generally landing in a modest 20–30% range rather than the deep cuts common elsewhere on Steam. If you’d rather not wait on a shallow discount, the Snakzy method below can cover the full list price without a direct purchase.
Is Elden Ring Available Free Anywhere Else?
No. As of this writing, Elden Ring is not included in Xbox Game Pass, not included in PlayStation Plus’s game catalog tiers, and has never been offered as a free weekly title on the Epic Games Store. Multiple gaming outlets have tracked this question repeatedly since the game’s 2022 launch, and the consistent answer has been no on every count. FromSoftware’s other Souls titles have occasionally rotated through Game Pass in the past, but Elden Ring itself has not, likely reflecting its continued strong full-price sales performance years after launch. That makes Snakzy the most realistic no-cost path for this specific title, rather than one option among several.
Where Can You Play Elden Ring?
| Platform | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam) | This guide’s Snakzy method targets this version | ||
| PS4 / PS5 | PS5 runs via backward compatibility with performance improvements | ||
| Xbox One / Xbox Series X | S | Series X | S runs via backward compatibility with performance improvements |
| Nintendo Switch | Not available, none announced |
Elden Ring launched day-one across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms in February 2022, with no staggered rollout. There is no Nintendo Switch version. Since Snakzy rewards redeem specifically for a Steam gift card, this guide’s free method targets the Steam PC version.
Elden Ring System Requirements
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10/11 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X | Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X |
| Memory | 12 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (3GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (4GB) | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (8GB) |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 60 GB available space | 60 GB available space |
The standout figure here is the 12 GB RAM minimum, which is unusually high for a minimum spec and has historically been a sticking point for PCs still running 8 GB of memory. Outside of that, the CPU and GPU requirements are fairly accessible for a mid-range gaming PC from the last several years.
How Does Elden Ring Play?
The core loop combines FromSoftware’s signature stamina-based combat, punishing bosses, and checkpoint-based death mechanics with genuine open-world exploration. Rather than the mostly linear level design of earlier Souls games, Elden Ring hands you a large connected map early on and lets you decide which regions to tackle first, which means difficulty can vary wildly depending on where you choose to explore.
Character building runs deep, with a wide range of weapon types, spells, and Ashes of War that let you customize how a build actually plays, alongside summonable spirit ashes that can assist in tough fights. Online features let you leave messages for other players, see ghostly playthroughs of how others died, and either summon help or get invaded by other players in certain areas. Reported completion times vary hugely by playstyle, with main-story-focused runs commonly landing somewhere in the 45–60 hour range and full exploration runs frequently stretching past 100 hours.
Elden Ring Key Features
- Open-world Lands Between — A large, interconnected map that can be tackled in a largely non-linear order, unusual for a FromSoftware title.
- Deep build variety — Weapons, spells, Ashes of War, and spirit summons that support many different playstyles.
- World co-created with George R.R. Martin — Lore and setting built in collaboration with the A Song of Ice and Fire author.
- Online co-op, PvP, and messages — Optional summon-based cooperation, invasions, and a community messaging system.
- Shadow of the Erdtree expansion — A large, separately reviewed DLC adding roughly 30 more hours of content.
How To Get Elden Ring Free With Snakzy
Snakzy is a free rewards app, developed by Helis Play UAB (part of the Eneba network), where you earn coins by completing offers and playing partner mobile games. No credit card or spending is required to earn. You trade time completing offers for coins that convert into Steam gift card value, which then covers Elden Ring at checkout.
Steps:
- Download Snakzy on Android from the Google Play Store; iOS users can access it through the web version, as there is currently no native iOS app.
- Browse available offers inside the app. Offers and payout amounts vary by region.
- Complete offers to earn coins, tracking your balance toward the $59.99 needed for the game.
- Reach the redemption threshold. Snakzy requires 35,000 coins, roughly $35, to unlock the rewards shop on your first redemption.
- Redeem coins for a Steam gift card, then apply it to your Steam purchase of Elden Ring.
Independent tracked data shows the average first payout on Snakzy is about $27.70, arriving within roughly 6.5 days of signing up. Because Elden Ring’s $59.99 price is on the higher end for this series of guides, covering the full amount will likely take more than one payout cycle for most users. Payout speed and offer availability vary by country, so check current rates inside the app before planning around a specific timeline.
Is It Legal To Get Elden Ring Free With Snakzy?
Yes. Snakzy pays users in coins for completing offers, those coins convert into a real Steam gift card, and the gift card is used for an official Steam purchase. FromSoftware and Bandai Namco get paid the same as if you had bought the game directly, and the result is a legitimate license tied to your Steam account.
What to avoid: cracked download sites and torrents advertising a free copy. These typically carry malware risk and can result in a permanent Steam account ban, and a cracked copy locks you out of online features like co-op summons, invasions, and the message system that are core to how many players experience the game. Piracy takes revenue directly from FromSoftware, a studio that has continued supporting the game with balance patches and paid expansions years after release.
Verdict
Elden Ring’s reputation holds up under scrutiny: mid-90s Metacritic scores, a 94% Very Positive rating from Steam’s own player base, Game of the Year honors from multiple outlets, and a well-received expansion two years after launch. It is not available through any subscription service or free giveaway, so unlike some games in this series, there’s no realistic wait-it-out option beyond a modest Steam sale.
Getting it for free comes down to time rather than money: download Snakzy, work offers toward the $35 redemption threshold, and keep going until your balance clears the $59.99 price, then redeem for a Steam gift card.
FAQs
Is Elden Ring free to play?
No, it’s a paid game priced at $59.99 on Steam with no free-to-play version. The method in this guide uses Snakzy to earn a Steam gift card that covers the cost without a direct purchase.
Is Elden Ring on Game Pass or PS Plus?
No. As of this writing, Elden Ring has never been included in Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus, and it has never been given away free on the Epic Games Store. Snakzy remains the most realistic no-cost route for this specific title.
What platforms is Elden Ring on?
PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, all released simultaneously in February 2022. There is no Nintendo Switch version. The Snakzy method in this guide applies to the Steam PC version.
How long does it take to beat Elden Ring?
Main-story-focused playthroughs are commonly reported in the 45–60 hour range, while full exploration runs including side content frequently exceed 100 hours. Reported times vary significantly based on playstyle and prior experience with the genre.
Is it safe to get Elden Ring through Snakzy?
Yes. Snakzy-earned Steam gift cards are redeemed through Steam’s official checkout, making the resulting purchase fully legitimate. Avoid unofficial free download sites instead, since those carry real malware and account-ban risk with no legal license attached.
