Epic Games Store is wrapping up its 2025 free game campaign with one last “mystery” giveaway, and the tease for December 31 is already getting players busy with predictions. Right now, the store is offering the second-to-last free game of the year, and as has happened with recent hints, fans believe the new clue is pointing to a specific title—but it’s not an easy one to crack.
An Epic Games Store staff member dropped a cryptic message about the final giveaway, and it comes in two parts. First: “we did this in the past.” That line strongly suggests the December 31 free game could be a repeat giveaway, meaning it’s a title Epic has offered for free before. Then comes the curveball: “the clue has layers.” That second phrase makes the tease much harder to interpret, especially since December 31 is a major spotlight day for the final freebie—so repeating an old giveaway feels less likely than usual.
Looking back at what Epic has handed out on December 31 in previous years helps narrow the possibilities. Here are the past end-of-year giveaways:
2024: Kingdom Come: Deliverance
2023: A Plague Tale: Innocence
2022: Mortal Shell
2021: Salt and Sanctuary
2020: Torchlight 2
At first glance, those games don’t seem to follow a strict pattern. But there is a takeaway: Epic often closes out the year with something substantial—typically an AA release or a premium indie game with strong production values. Of course, since it’s the final free game of 2025, there’s always the chance Epic goes even bigger with a true AAA surprise.
So what does “we did this in the past” plus “the clue has layers” actually point to? One popular guess is ARK: Survival Ascend. The reasoning is straightforward: Epic has given away ARK: Survival Evolved before, which fits the “we did this in the past” line. And ARK games are known for layered systems—progression, building, crafting, taming, exploration, and deep survival mechanics—making the “layers” hint feel like a natural fit.
Another strong prediction making the rounds is Deathloop. That also aligns with the idea of a repeat, since it has been offered for free before. And in terms of “layers,” Deathloop’s design leans heavily into overlapping systems: looping timelines, discovery-based progression, interconnected objectives, and a story structure that encourages players to peel back information piece by piece.
For now, it’s still speculation—Epic hasn’t confirmed anything beyond the teaser. The wait won’t be long, though. The final mystery game is scheduled to be revealed on December 31, 2025 at 16:00 UTC, which is also when the current free game offer expires. If you’ve been following the holiday giveaways, this is the one reveal you won’t want to miss.
