Epic Games Store: Buried Stars and System Shock 2 free from 1 October 2026

• According to the report, the offer will remain available until 8 October 2026 at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CET.
• The combined store value of the two games is listed as $69.98, based on $39.99 for Buried Stars and $29.99 for System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster.

What happened

GameRant says Epic Games Store is preparing a new free-games promotion that begins on 1 October 2026. In that round, Buried Stars and System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster would be available to claim for free. The report explicitly describes it as a week-long promotion, matching the usual cadence of Epic Games Store’s weekly freebies.

The article gives 8 October 2026 as the end time and lists three time zones: 8:00 a.m. PT, 11:00 a.m. ET, and 5:00 p.m. CET. That frames the promotion as a standard seven-day window. Based on the information provided, there is no direct confirmation from Epic itself, so the claim currently rests on a secondary source.

The source presents the two titles as a relatively valuable bundle for 2026. It cites a combined price of $69.98, made up of $39.99 for Buried Stars and $29.99 for System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster. GameRant also describes the giveaway as one of Epic Games Store’s more valuable 2026 promotions, though that remains the outlet’s editorial framing rather than a separate storefront confirmation.

For the previous week, from 24 September to 1 October 2026, the report lists Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles and Mechabellum as the active free games. That sets up a direct handoff from one free-games round to the next. The provided information does not include an official Epic announcement independently confirming the schedule, nor any regional exceptions or storefront-specific variations.

Background

Buried Stars is a mystery adventure about a survival audition that falls apart, with participants trying to survive through social media and direct communication. In broader context, the game is set at the collapse site of a live survival show, where contestants wait for rescue while unexpected events strain their relationships. In the report, the game is valued at $39.99.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is the remastered version of the classic sci-fi action RPG. In the provided information, it is listed as part of the same free-games round and carries a price tag of $29.99. Together, that comes to $69.98, which the source uses to highlight the promotion’s value.

The source does not say whether those prices are the same in every region, and the provided information does not include an official Epic announcement to independently confirm the deal. It is also unclear which earlier Epic Games Store offer supports the claim that this is “one of the most valuable giveaways of 2026.” The available information does note the preceding free games Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles and Mechabellum for 24 September to 1 October 2026, but not a broader ranking or an official Epic assessment.

tags: ["epic-games-store", "free-games", "buried-stars", "system-shock-2", "pc-gaming", "visual-novel", "gratis-games", "system-shock"]