Deal | From $39.99 to $0: 4X strategy game now free to claim on Steam for a limited time

Proxy Studios' turn-based 4X strategy title, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War, is now available at no cost as part of the annual Warhammer Skulls Festival on Steam. If you add it to your account before May 28 at 4 PM UTC, it's yours permanently — no subscription or trial attached. The game normally retails at $39.99, which makes this a straightforward freebie worth grabbing even if you aren't an active Warhammer fan. To claim it, visit the Steam store page and hit "Add to Account" while logged in. That's basically the entire process.

About the game

Gladius – Relics of War was released back in 2018, and it is the first turn-based 4X strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It follows the classic explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate formula, but takes out diplomacy and replaces it with near-constant warfare across the planet Gladius Prime. Four factions — Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks, and Necrons — are playable in the base game, and additional factions are available as paid DLC.

Professional critics were pretty lukewarm at launch, with a Metacritic score around 71. Steam users have been way more generous though. Thanks to that, the game currently holds a "Very Positive" rating on the platform. The consensus is that it's a solid, no-frills 4X, which suits the Warhammer 40K setting well enough.

Price history context

This deal follows the same pattern from the last two years. Gladius went free on Steam during Warhammer Skulls 2024 and again in 2025, so the annual freebie has become something of a tradition tied to the festival. Outside of these giveaways, the game has occasionally dropped to around $4 during major Steam sales.

The Warhammer Skulls Festival sale is also live alongside this giveaway, with discounts across the broader Warhammer catalogue on Steam.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.