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PC players can currently pick up System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster for free on the Epic Games Store until October 8, 2026. As with all of Epic's weekly freebies, anything you claim during the window stays in your library permanently. You'll need a free Epic Games account to claim System Shock 2, and the game is played through the Epic Games Launcher.
Nightdive Studios, the team behind a string of well-regarded classic revivals such as those for Quake and Star Wars: Dark Forces, released the 25th Anniversary Remaster in June 2025.
The update keeps the original design but modernises how it looks and plays, including the following changes:
- Remastered visuals, including cutscenes, character models, and weapon models
- Support for up to 4K at 144fps on PC
- Adjustable field of view and ultrawide support
- Full mod support
- Cross-play co-op for up to four players
- The choice of an O.S.A., Marine, or Navy background to shape your playstyle
The original System Shock 2 launched back in 1999, developed by Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games, blending together an FPS shooter with the character building of an RPG. You wake from cryosleep aboard the faster-than-light ship Von Braun in the year 2114 with no memory of who you are, and the ship is overrun by hybrid mutants and hostile robots.
Its influence is hard to overstate. Many of the people behind it went on to make the BioShock games, which are often described as a spiritual successor to System Shock 2, and the game's blend of environmental storytelling and player choice has shaped plenty of what has followed. The original title garnered a 9/10 rating when it received an updated review. Now, this Epic Games Store deal offers a free way to revisit one of the most influential games ever made.
If the remaster whets your appetite, Nightdive also released a full remake of the first System Shock on PC in 2023, rebuilt with new HD visuals, updated controls and a revamped hacking system. It's a handy way to explore the series' roots, though System Shock 2 works perfectly well as a standalone adventure – that's currently $11.99 on Steam with a hefty 70% discount during the Autumn Sale.
Epic is also giving away Buried Stars this week, so it's worth heading to the store for both. It's an anime-style visual novel in which a group of contestants on a TV show must survive a mysterious attack. Like System Shock 2, it's available to claim until 8 October, and you can add both games to your library in a couple of clicks.
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