Xbox Makes 2021 Game Free For Limited Time, No Game Pass Required

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The Top Corner Of A Black Xbox Series X Console With Green And White Sparks On A Black Background.

Published Jan 24, 2026, 4:21 AM EST

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A 2021 Xbox game is currently completely free to download and keep via the Microsoft store, though you should be aware you only have until February 20 before the game goes back to its normal price. Oh, and to be clear, there's absolutely no Xbox Game Pass or any other kind of subscription required here. This freebie is free in every sense of the word.

2026 is shaping up to be a huge year for Xbox. It's the 25th anniversary of the original console's release, and Microsoft is going big with brand-new games like Beast of Reincarnation, as well as reviving classics like Fable and Halo: Campaign Evolved. But all of that is to come later in the year. For now, focus on this saucy little free offering.

This Xbox Freebie Is Available For One Month

Get in, get the freebie, get out

Available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, there's a good chance you've never heard of this free game. I'm basing this on the fact it has three user reviews on Steam (not enough for a rating) and two user reviews on the Microsoft Store. Not an encouraging start.

If you're still here, the game is a walking simulator called ATOLL: The Game. Developed and published by Tribunal Interactive, it was released in 2021 and promptly forgotten about. I'm not entirely sure why it's been made free now, or why it's only free for a month. Then again, I'm sat here writing about it, so perhaps that's one mystery solved.

Here's the official synopsis for ATOLL:

"The earth has been struck by an extinction level meteor, eliminating most of humanity. Survive by managing resources beneath the ocean surface in a single-person submarine craft. Test your survival skills to see if you can once again reach the ocean surface and uncover the fate of the earth!"

They Can't All Be Winners

You get what you pay for

Look, sometimes you get what you pay for... which in this case is nothing at all. There are loads of great free games out there, and they can't all be winners. That's not to say ATOLL looks awful, to be clear. It doesn't exactly look amazing, but it's an action-adventure game clearly made by a small team, and it has some interesting ideas, and I absolutely have to give it credit for that.

If you have an Xbox and you're looking for something new to play that won't break the bank, I can pretty much guarantee you're not going to find anything else like ATOLL, for better or worse.