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[[quoteright:350:[[Website/GOGDotCom https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gogsale3_0.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:When the rights are expiring, you might as well.]]
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Sometimes, the people who own the copyright for a certain commercial product decide to re-release said product to the general audience as a free product.

Reasons for doing so vary. Sometimes, the product is not doing well, and the people who own the rights don't want the product's community to die out and/or want to keep the product from falling into KeepCirculatingTheTapes. Other times, it's being given out as a celebration of some event.

A variation is when the product is only released for a certain amount of time before it stops being commercial.

Another variation is when something becomes free only for a limited amount of time before it stops being free.

May result in said product becoming either an AllegedlyFreeGame or {{Freemium}}. Compare {{Abandonware}} and MediaNotes/FreeLibreOpenSourceSoftware. Contrast {{Shareware}}.
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Creator/TMSEntertainment have uploaded most of the episodes of their animes to [=YouTube=] for free (with the exception of ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' for some reason).
* All of the original ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' series has been uploaded to [=YouTube=] for free by both World Events Productions via the official ''Voltron'' channel and Creator/DHXMedia's Wildbrain channel.
* ''Anime/FantasticChildren'' and the 1989 ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'' anime, previously released by Creator/BandaiEntertainment and Creator/{{Geneon}} respectively, were rereleased for free outside of Japan (albeit [[NoDubForYou sub-only]] in the case of the latter) [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-11-12/animelog-launches-global-youtube-channel-with-ahare-meisaku-kun-hello-anne-more-anime/.166267 courtesy of AnimeLog]].
* In 2023, the entirety of the ''Manga/SailorMoon'' anime, along with ''Anime/SailorMoonCrystal'', was made available for free on [=YouTube=].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* ''Animation/HappyHeroes'': The official [=YouTube=] channel has uploaded Seasons 1-15 and the [[Animation/HappyHeroes2TheBattleOfPlanetQiyuan second movie]] for free viewing.
* Indian series ''Animation/{{Lamput}}'' was originally on the pay channel Creator/CartoonNetwork before it was officially uploaded for free on [=YouTube=].
* ''Animation/MotuPatlu'', which airs on Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} India, has all of its episodes uploaded to series producer Cosmos-Maya's official [=YouTube=] channel, Wow Kidz. The spin-off ''Animation/InspectorChingum'', which originally premiered on Creator/PrimeVideo India, also got released on the Wow Kidz [=YouTube=] channel.
* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': Quite a few movies/shows originally costed money to watch before they were put up for free on Youku, iQiyi, and other sites. However, this didn't last because they eventually made you pay to watch some seasons.
** Outside of China, some seasons were available in Website/YouTube for free, and also includes the Bowdlerized version of ''Great War in the Bizzare World'' season and episode 341-380. At least, but ''[[KeepCirculatingtheTapes except the Smart Dodging season episode 34.]]''
** When the season ''Dunk for Victories'' were put on iQiyi, originally the episodes beyond episode 6 were restricted to VIP access, but this was later reversed and the entire season became free to watch for a while. But due to even the factor of dwelling popularity of the season, later the VIP restriction was put up again as Creative Power Entertaining's strategy to WinBackTheCrowd and just to ''earn more money.''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Comic book publishers sometimes reprint the first issue of an "Event" comic as a part of Free Comic Book Day. ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'', ''ComicBook/BrightestDay'', a ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' reboot, and ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'' are some of them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Computer Software]]
* [=GiveAwayOfTheDay.com=] gives free software for one day only; after that it goes back to its regular price.
* Platform/MacOS X version 10.9, known as Mavericks, became free, whereas previously new versions were paid. You have to have a Mac (or a Hackintosh) to take advantage of this, but still, it's now free and previously was not.
** Same with Platform/MicrosoftWindows. Windows 7 and 8 owners, even if their copy is [[DigitalPiracyIsOkay pirated]], could get Windows 10 for free on launch... but they had to upgrade within a year of its release. Except it is actually more complicated than Microsoft initially stated. You can download and install an ISO of Windows 10 for free, but to take advantage of features like customization, you'll have to activate it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Several Creator/DonBluth films, including ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'', ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'' (along with [[WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven2 its sequel]], which wasn't directed by Bluth), ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle'', and ''WesternAnimation/ThePebbleAndThePenguin'' were legally uploaded to watch for free on [=YouTube=] Movies in 2019, albeit with ads ([[LoopholeAbuse although you could watch them with an adblocker]]).
* Both of the ''WesternAnimation/HappilyNeverAfter'' films have also been rereleased for free on Website/YouTube Movies with ads.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Igor}}'' has been made free to watch with ads on Website/YouTube Movies as well.
* The first ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'' film has been released for free with ads on Website/YouTube.
* Creator/TMSEntertainment uploaded their film ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland'' onto their Website/YouTube channel to watch for free.
* Creator/VideoBrinquedo has uploaded some of its films to its [=YouTube=] channel, such as ''The Little Cars'' (in English) and ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatoing}}'' (in Portuguese).
* Also from Brazil, but better regarded, the ''ComicBook/MonicasGang'' channel uploaded [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyz1OnqAaJg a feature that had]] [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes been out of circulation for a while]] (they also have many of the regular cartoons inspired by the comic).
* There is an official Youtube channel for old ''Franchise/{{Popeye}}'' cartoons called [[https://www.youtube.com/@PopeyeAndFriendsOfficial Popeye And Friends Official]] where you can watch episodes of ''[[WesternAnimation/PopeyeandSon Popeye and Son]]'', ''Classic Popeye'' and ''All-New Popeye'' in English (and some in Spanish).
* Benesse made the 2014 ''Anime/ShimaShimaToraNoShimajiro'' movie available to watch on the Japanese Shimajiro Youtube channel as part of Youtube's Anime Weekend event in November 2021.
* For fans of [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog]], there are two animated shows currently available on Youtube for free:
** On the official channel of ''[[WesternAnimation/SonicBoom Sonic Boom]]'', many (but not all) episodes of the show can be watched.
** The channels [[https://www.youtube.com/@WildBrainSuperheroes WildBrain Superheroes]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/@SonicTheHedgehogWildBrain Sonic the Hedgehog - WildBrain]] feature all episodes of ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' without a paywall (there might be some Youtube ads, though).
* An interesting variation of this occurred with ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'': On November 23, 2018 (Black Friday), on uploads of the trailer for the then-upcoming [[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart sequel]], viewers could watch the entire first film for free ''as a [=YouTube=] pre-roll advertisement''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
* After Music/{{Radiohead}} regained the rights to their 1991-2003 material following the dissolution of Creator/{{EMI}} and subsequent sale of their old UK label Creator/ParlophoneRecords, they made their 1998 {{rockumentary}} ''Film/MeetingPeopleIsEasy'' legally available to watch for free on the [[https://www.radiohead.com/library/ Radiohead Public Library]] in 2016.
* Once ''Film/TiltTheBattleToSavePinball'''s DVD sold out entirely in 2019, the director uploaded both discs' ISO files to the Website/InternetArchive.
* ''Film/TheTrumanShow'' was temporarily available for free with ads on [=YouTube Movies=], before reverting to a paid option.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film Studios]]
* Vudu, a video service owned by Fandango, offers free ad-supported movies from Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer, Creator/WarnerBros, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Lionsgate}}, Creator/SonyPictures, and Creator/{{Disney}} (specifically Creator/TouchstonePictures and Creator/HollywoodPictures titles).
* Tubi TV offers free ad-supported movies from Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer, Creator/WarnerBros, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Lionsgate}} and Creator/{{Universal}}.
* There are a few ad-supported Creator/{{Lionsgate}} and Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer movies on [=YouTube=].
* Filipino film studio Regal Entertainment has uploaded a number of films from their back catalogue for free on their [=YouTube=] channel, perhaps as a way to one-up pirates who would upload inferior (and more often than not those with watermarks of whichever warez group released said films) versions online.
* Ditto with [[https://www.youtube.com/c/TBAStudios/videos TBA Studios]], whose back catalogue was uploaded for free on their [=YouTube=] channel, one of them being ''Film/HeneralLuna''.
* Also the case with ABS-CBN-owned [[Creator/{{ABSCBN}} Star Cinema]], as selected titles from their back catalogue were uploaded for free on their [[https://www.youtube.com/c/ABSstarcinema/videos [=YouTube=] channel]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Project Gutenberg is a volunteer-based organization with the mission of promoting eBooks. People are encouraged to create eBooks of any works that have fallen within the public domain for their country. This allows them to distribute "every" book for free (where "every" means books that are no longer protected by copyright).
* [[Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection American Girl]] has rereleased a number of books for free online. During the start of the UsefulNotes/Covid19Pandemic, a variety of older and current books were offered for free digitally for twelve weeks. During their diversity and inclusion promotion in 2020, they also offered every current book with a black protagonist for free. This includes the Cécile and Marie-Grace series (who were retired in 2014), the full series of Addy books (including the short story collection, mystery, and the main series in the individual six-book series which had been depreciated), two books in the side series for Misty Copeland and Rosa Parks, and the entire Gabriela series. Other older books are offered in full text through their online library; this includes books for retired characters from the Historical Characters and the Girls of the Year. It doesn't however, include older lines that have been completely discontinued such as for the Literature/GirlsOfManyLands or History Mysteries.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Carsey-Werner Television has licensed most of their shows to [=FilmRise=] for free streaming on the Tubi TV website.
* All of ''Series/FatherTed'' has been uploaded to [=YouTube=] onto the Dead Parrot channel.
* The entire run of ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'' has been uploaded for free onto the show's official [=YouTube=] channel.
* Every episode of ''Series/TheJoyOfPainting'' is available for free on the official Creator/BobRoss [=YouTube=] channel.
* All episodes of the faith-based children's series ''Series/MayBukasPa'' are available for free streaming on Creator/{{ABSCBN}} Entertainment[='=]s [=YouTube=] channel. This is also the same on some of the network's past television shows, such as ''100 Days to Heaven'', ''Ikaw ay Pag-ibig'', ''Honesto'', ''Nathaniel'', and many more.
* Run with Us Productions has uploaded much of ''Series/RoboCopTheSeries'' onto their official [=YouTube=] channel.
* With the exception of ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet'' and the Netflix-produced ''Next Class'' episodes, three of the ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}'' series - ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' (only the first season for an inexplicable reason), and ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' - were officially made available on Website/YouTube by DHX Media (now [=WildBrain=]) in the late 2010s. Both ''Degrassi High'' and ''Next Generation'' have made it onto Tubi in the United States at certain points, and ''Next Generation'' has its own Pluto TV channel. However, in 2022, the three series on [=YouTube=] were geoblocked in the US and other Western countries.
* Hasbro has most seasons of Franchise/{{Power Rangers}} available in their entirety for free on the Power Rangers [=YouTube=] channel.
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'': Starting on April 1, 2022, all four seasons of the series are officially available to view on Creator/{{Crackle}}.
* The nostalgia TV station ''That's TV'' now has the rights to screen a varied selection of British TV from TheSeventies and TheEighties on Freeview. These can be shows that fell out of favour with their makers at Creator/{{ITV}} or the Creator/{{BBC}}, such as ''Series/TheGoodies''[[note]]Hated by BBC Execs who refuse to let it darken their schedules again[[/note]] or ''Series/TheBennyHillShow''[[note]]Discontinued for being old-fashioned, sexist and everything-ist and despised by then-trendy TV execs at ITV[[/note]]. That's TV also gets to screen shows which the BBC currently isn't choosing to monetise on its paid-for subscription channel ''Brit Box'', such as ''Series/TillDeathUsDoPart''[[note]]Which really does need a "Warning: viewers today may find aspects of this show to be offensive" disclaimer[[/note]].
* ''Series/SesameStreet'' has a number of full episodes on their official [=YouTube=] channel. They initially consisted of solely episodes from the 2000s, with the exception of one 1993 episode. Since 2022, a number of episodes from more recent seasons have been uploaded.
* Following the lead of their sister networks, Creator/DisneyChannel has uploaded the complete first seasons of ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' and ''Series/StuckInTheMiddle'' to their [=YouTube=] channel.
* In 2023, every episode of ''Series/TheBigComfyCouch'' was uploaded to [=YouTube=] for free. Before this, the After School Cartoons channel on Pluto TV showed the series.
* Since 2023, the entire ''Series/BabyEinstein'' back catalog can be viewed on [=YouTube=].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Anathallo's first album, ''Luminous Luminescence in the Atlas Position'', was out of print and completely impossible to buy for a period in the early 2000s. During this time, the band members would give [=MP3s=] of the album to any fan who asked them online.
* Music/HavalinaRailCo's album ''Russian Lullabies'' went out of print, and the record label that published it went out of business. When fans clamored for a way to get the album, the band responded by putting it on their website as a free download.
* This trope is the whole point of the [[https://www.radiohead.com/library/ Radiohead Public Library]], an official online archive of Music/{{Radiohead}}'s material that allows fans to access almost all of their works, both old and new, for no monetary payment. The stuff included on the site includes studio and live recordings going all the way back to the ''Drill'' EP in 1992, concert videos, music videos (including all of the ''Kid A'' blips in 720p), older versions of the band's website, liner notes, promotional flyers, and even the 1998 {{rockumentary}} ''Film/MeetingPeopleIsEasy'' in its entirety.
* For a given definition of "free," this has become the standard for most major musicians nowadays, with their old backlogs being re-released on freely available streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, and [=YouTube=]; while these services do require users to listen to advertisements every now and then to maintain revenue for both the artists and platforms, nobody has to actually ''buy'' copies of these old albums and singles anymore. Of course, there's still the risk of these uploads being taken down either by the artists' own volition or due to legal issues, but for the time they're still up no direct payment is required to access them.
* In August 2020, Music/TouhouFanMusic circle FELT started gradually uploading its old albums to [=YouTube=].
* But whatever you do, don't download Music/WeirdAlYankovic's "Don't Download This Song", even though he put it up on the internet for free. Even [[Music/{{Metallica}} Lars Ulrich]] knows it's wrong.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In August 2009, a UniversalSystem called the D6 system was rereleased as open source under the SRD. PDF versions of a couple of books (including the base rules) were then released to the general audience for free.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The Vietnamese FPS ''7554'' was re-released for free on the anniversary of one of the battles depicted in-game.
* Creator/{{Discord}} initially locked their Activities series to Nitro subscribers, then released all those games for free forever.
* Creator/ElectronicArts:
** The company has offered many games through its MediaNotes/DigitalDistribution platform, Origin, via the "On The House" program. The service has offered [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Origin%27s_On_the_House_games many games]] (both classic and modern) to download and play permanently for free if they're registered within a certain (unspecified) amount of time. Titles in the promotion included (among others) ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'', ''VideoGame/Battlefield3'', ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' and more.
** The first ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'' was released for free as a limited-time promotion when EA released the third title in the series.
** When Origin removed ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' from it's store shelves on July 15, 2014, existing owners were given a email saying that their copy of ''The Sims 2'' had been upgraded to ''The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection'', containing all expansion packs and stuff packs, even if the owner hadn't obtained them yet. Later that month, ''Ultimate Collection'' could be obtained for free by inputting in a promo code. After the promotion ended, it was still possible to obtain ''The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection'' by showing proof of owning a physical copy of ''The Sims 2'' through EA chat. This was discontinued by late 2018, [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes making them no longer obtainable in legal form]].
** ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' was given away for free on Origin during a franchise sale in 2018. 4 years later, EA announced that the base game itself would be free-to-play starting on October 18, 2022.
* [[Website/GOGDotCom GOG.com]] have numerous examples of this, due to offering many limited-time giveaways of free games and a permanent "package" of free games that can be downloaded and enjoyed just for opening an account. [[https://www.gog.com/mix/free_games_temporarily_free_games There's even a community-made list of all the games that have been offered over the history of the service]]:
** Beta testers who took part in the GOG Galaxy early tests (simply signing up for the service) received a copy of the 1999 ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' for free to test it with.
** ''VideoGame/BeneathASteelSky'' was also released for free.
** ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper Gold'' was given away free to all users in mid-February 2014.
** Due to their rights to the classic ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' games lapsing, GOG offered ''VideoGame/Fallout1'', ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutTactics'' to all users shortly before they removed the games in late 2013 (although the rights were re-acquired a year later and the games were put back up -- and priced accordingly).
** Users who took part in GOG surveys and system tests on two occasions in 2012 could obtain the entire ''VideoGame/RealmsOfArkania'' trilogy for free.
** ''VideoGame/FlightOfTheAmazonQueen'' was released for free as well.
** Players who had a GOG Connect account and used it to access the service in early June 2016 could download a copy of ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' to keep permanently.
** ''VideoGame/{{Tyrian}}'', originally published in 1995, was re-released as freeware in 2004 as a gift to everyone else. It can also be found on GOG as a freeware product.
** A few of the ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games were released for free, including ''Ultima 0'' (a.k.a. ''Akalabeth: World of Doom''), ''VideoGame/UltimaIV'', ''VideoGame/WorldsOfUltimaTheSavageEmpire'' and its sequel, ''Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams''. All of these can be found on GOG.
** The ''VideoGame/JillOfTheJungle'' trilogy is available for free. (its sibling game ''VideoGame/{{Xargon}}'' [[https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html is also free elsewhere]])
* Creator/ValveSoftware have given several of their internally-developed games away for free as part of limited-time promotions or seasonal events, as well as select games from other publishers. These deals are usually offered for a 24-hour period on Platform/{{Steam}}, and anyone who clicks "Download" on the store page keeps the games permanently.
** ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'' was given out free in September 2015.
** The original ''VideoGame/KillingFloor'' was distributed for free in 2011.
** ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' was given away for free during the 2013 Steam Holiday Sale.
** ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}: Abe's Oddysee'' was distributed freely for a 24-hour period in August 2015.
** ''VideoGame/Portal1'' was made free for two weeks in May 2010 to promote Steam on Mac, and for a few days in September 2011 to promote the "Learn with Portals" initiative.
** In late August 2016, ''VideoGame/ShadowWarrior1997'' was distributed for free in order to promote the release of ''VideoGame/ShadowWarrior2''. This original version of the game was redubbed as ''Shadow Warrior Classic'' and remained a freebie while the Creator/DevolverDigital ''Classic Redux'' remaster was sold in its stead. Other stores like Website/GOGDotCom (which also has ''Classic Redux'') and ZOOM followed this trend. The only exception is Creator/ThreeDRealms' [[https://3drealms.com/catalog/shadow-warrior_10/ official rebuild]], known as ''Shadow Warrior (Classic)'' (note the parenthesis on ''Classic'') on Steam.
** In late 2014, ''VideoGame/SniperEliteV2'' was offered for free for 24 hours, largely to promote the upcoming release of ''VideoGame/SniperEliteIII''.
** ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' was originally a paid game (notably as part of the retail bundle ''The Orange Box'', which included several other Valve titles), but eventually transitioned to a {{freemium}} model supported by LootBox in 2011. According to Valve's own metrics, moving to a free-to-play model (and giving players the ability to create custom weapons, cosmetic items and hats) increased their revenue by a factor of ''twelve''.
** In September 2018, ''VideoGame/CounterStrike: Global Offensive'' was made free like ''Team Fortress'' above, after several months of being free only to play offline and spectate matches. The catch? Servers are now segregated between "Free" and "Prime" (paid) players, and the cost of Prime Access is twice the base price of the game when it was paid.
** In May 2018, both Steam and the above GOG.com gave away the original ''VideoGame/{{Unreal|I}}'' over a 48-hour period to celebrate the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series' [[MilestoneCelebration 20th anniversary]].
** ''VideoGame/{{Brink}}'' was permanently made free on August 2017, Steam version only, without being Freemium, although the DLC which features several new maps and features, still for sale with a price tag.
** Over the course of the UsefulNotes/CovidPandemic, quite a number of games were offered for free on Steam to entice users to play more video games at home instead of going outside. To name a few: ''VideoGame/{{Drawful}} 2'', ''VideoGame/OneHundredPercentOrangeJuice'', ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'', ''VideoGame/PacMan Championship Edition 2'', ''VideoGame/TotalWarShogun2'', ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoNinjagoMovie [[VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame Video Game]]'', the first chapter of ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry''...
* Likewise, Ubisoft offered games for free on Uplay for a limited time for people stuck at home due to the {{UsefulNotes/COVID}} pandemic, including ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed2'', ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends'', and ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight''.
* Like other online multiplayer games, ''VideoGame/AgeOfConan'' was re-released for free after its creators discovered the miracle of [[RevenueEnhancingDevices microtransactions]].
* The original ''VideoGame/SimCity'' has been re-released under an open-source licence as "Micropolis".
* ''[[VideoGame/FootballManager Championship Manager]] 01/02'' was made freeware in December 2008, and partly as a result, it remains arguably the most popular instalment in the franchise despite being twenty years old.
* ''VideoGame/{{Elite}}'':
** Both the original game and its sequel, ''Frontier'', were re-released as free downloads from Frontier Developments, though some wrangling is needed to get them to run on modern machines.
** The standalone version of ''VideoGame/EliteDangerous''' multiplayer mode, ''Arena'', was offered for free by Steam in mid-2016.
** VideoGame/EliteDangerous itself would become available for free for one week on Epic's storefront to promote the launch of it's first DLC, Odyssey, in November 2020.
* ''VideoGame/AnUntitledStory'' and its soundtrack were originally sold for money before Matt released them as freeware.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Arena]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' have been released as freeware. ''Arena'' on the 10th anniversary of its original release and ''Daggerfall'' on the series' 15th anniversary.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series:
** ''VideoGame/{{Grand Theft Auto|Classic}}'' and [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto2 its sequel]] were commercially released games. The Windows ports of the first two games were re-released as freeware to encourage people to sign up for the Rockstar Propaganda newsletter and on Steam. Unfortunately, there were delisted on Steam for reasons unknown, although they were made downloadable from Rockstar's own website soon after.
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' was re-released on PC for free for a limited time to promote Rockstar's own gaming platform/launcher around mid-September 2019.
* [=PlayStation=] Plus members get free games that usually have been around for a year or even more than ten years before. Oftentimes the new run breathes life into the online scene. Some larger games that have been offered free include ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' and ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet 2''.
* In 1999, Creator/EpicGames rereleased their classic fighter ''VideoGame/OneMustFall2097'' as freeware as well.
** In 2009, they released [[MediaNotes/GameEngine UDK (Unreal Development Kit)]]; an open-source version of [[VideoGame/{{Unreal}} Unreal Engine 3]] for Windows (and later, iOS) platforms. Although anyone selling a UDK-based game still has to pay Epic royalties[[note]]A one-off $99 initial licence fee and 25% of any "UDK related revenue" over $50,000[[/note]], releasing free UDK based games is... free.
** Epic then launched their own storefront to compete with Steam in 2019. They would give away up to two games weekly (and very rarely, three games). And while usually it would be indie titles up for grabs, Triple-A titles like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' and ''VideoGame/SurvivingMars'' have come up for grabs in the past.
* In 2004, the former members of ''VideoGame/Warzone2100'''s defunct developer, Pumpkin Studios, released the game and its source code under the GNU General Public License.
* The original ''VideoGame/TheSuffering'' was eventually released for free, with ads embedded.
* Likewise, ''VideoGame/PsiOpsTheMindgateConspiracy'', also by Midway, was released for free under the same program.
* The 2005 ''[[VideoGame/Area51FPS Area 51]]'' FirstPersonShooter game was another Midway title released for free with embedded ads as part of a sponsorship with the U.S. airforce. While the sponsorship has long ended, the files are still readily available online.
* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'':
** The original game was originally paid for on iOS devices and PC. However, when it was ported to Android, the developers decided to make it ad-supported freemium. But only the Android version. The other versions are still commercial. Averted for the games released after the original, as they were available as ad-supported freeware for Android from the start.
** ''Angry Birds WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}'' was originally released on March 22, 2011 at the same price as the other ''Angry Birds'' games. However, on January 17, 2013, the game was rereleased for free, initially as part of Apple's "Free App of the Week" promotion.
* ''VideoGame/{{Betrayer}}'' was released for free on Gog.com in 2023, several years after disappearing from online distribution after the company that made it folded.
* Creator/{{Bungie}}'s ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' series is now downloadable freeware, due to the computer system it was built for no longer being available.
* While ''VideoGame/Halo3'' is now a free download for the Xbox One, you need to have an Xbox Live account to download it.
* ''Skyroads'', a shareware racer from Bluemoon Interactive, has been rereleased as freeware.
* ''God of Thunder'', a puzzle-platformer by Software Creations, was rereleased as freeware in 2002.
* For a while, the Mektek mod group were allowed by Microsoft to re-release ''VideoGame/MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries'' as a free download with their [[ExpansionPack Mekpaks]]. However, it was removed after Piranha, the new owner of the Mechwarrior IP, objects. KeepCirculatingTheTapes ensues.
* If you can find them, ''VideoGame/MechCommander'', ''Mechcommander Gold'', and ''Mechcommander 2'' are all free to download--Creator/MicroProse is long gone, and the ''Mechcommander'' trilogy was made available before their sites shut down.
* Creator/{{Sega}} gave away a large number of their classic titles as part of the "Make Love, Not War" promotion, which was set up to publicize a sale the company was holding on Steam in early 2016. Participants who signed up each week through an associated site could get ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'', ''VideoGame/HellYeahWrathOfTheDeadRabbit'', ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'', ''VideoGame/BinaryDomain'', ''VideoGame/CondemnedCriminalOrigins'', ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage II'', ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'', ''VideoGame/VikingBattleForAsgard'' and ''VideoGame/RenegadeOps'' for free.
* Toys for Bob, the creators of the ''VideoGame/StarControl'' franchise, released the partially ported files for the 3DO port of ''Star Control 2'' to the fans, and it was eventually finished and officially released for free as ''The Ur-Quan Masters'' for a variety of platforms, followed in 2024 by an official release on Steam as ''Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters''.
* ''[[UpdatedRerelease 3D Classics]]: VideoGame/{{Excitebike}}'' was free to download for a limited time in June 2011 to promote the launch of the Platform/Nintendo3DS [=eShop=].
* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysWorld'' was taken off Steam due to Creator/ScottCawthon himself admitting that the game was unfinished and had several problems, and an updated version was later released on [[https://gamejolt.com/games/fnaf-world/124921 GameJolt]]. Scott even offered a refund to everyone who had bought the game at the initial Steam launch, regardless of how long they played.
* Microsoft temporily made ''VideoGame/{{Crackdown}}'' free on two occassions to promote the release of ''Crackdown 3''. They would do likewise with ''Crackdown 2'' when the game was added to the Xbox One's backward compatibility program.
* In support of the restoration effort after the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire on April 15, 2019 and to let players see the game's painstaking recreation of the cathedral, Creator/{{Ubisoft}} [[https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/348227/supporting-notre-dame-de-paris offered]] ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'' for free on Uplay between April 18-25, 2019.
* To the shock of nearly everybody, in 2019, as part of the final backward compatibility update for the Platform/XboxOne, ''VideoGame/TooHuman'' was reuploaded to the Xbox Store free of charge, despite Creator/SiliconKnights being ordered in the past to cease sales of it and destroy any remaining copies. Xbox 360 owners can also take advantage of this offer.
* When obscure Mac video game creators Storm Impact went out of business in the late 1990s, one of the programmers leaked registration codes for the company's two biggest games, ''VideoGame/TaskMaker'' and ''VideoGame/MacSki'', on a newsgroup.
* The creator of ''VideoGame/ConcealedTheConclusion'' has [[https://github.com/danmaq/touhou-ctc-danmakufu/releases/tag/v2.01 uploaded it to his GitHub]].
* ''VideoGame/GoreUltimateSoldier'' was re-released for free as ''Gore: Special Edition'' a few years after its initial release. While the files are still readily available, they require a user key (similar to a CD-key), which was generated by a website which no longer exists. However, the single-player can still be played by using one of the existing user keys which can be found shared online.
* ''VideoGame/StarCraftI'' is available for free for whoever downloads Blizzard's Battle.net (the [[UpdatedRerelease remaster]], however, is a separate purchase).
** ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'''s multiplayer and ''Wings of Liberty'' campaign were made free on November 14, 2017. Those who already owned [=WoL=] by itself prior to October 31, 2017 could claim ''Heart of the Swarm'' for free instead.
* In December of 2019, not only was there a limited-time free giveaway of ''VideoGame/Postal2'' on GOG.com, the original, non-''Redux'' version of the first ''VideoGame/{{Postal}}'' game was also made freeware.
** ''VideoGame/Postal2'' got another free giveaway on GOG.com in April of 2022, to commemorate the 1.0 release of ''VideoGame/Postal4NoRegerts''.
* In December of 2015, an HD remastered version of ''VideoGame/ShadowComplex'' was announced and given out for free for a limited time through the Epic Games Store for PC.
* In 2015, Hi-Rez Studio made nearly the entire ''VideoGame/{{Starsiege}}'' saga (exceptions being ''Metaltech: Battledrome'' the obscure spin-off ''Hunter Hunted'' and ''VideoGame/CyberStorm'', the later whose publishing rights had remained with Activision) downloadable for free on the series' official website.
* In 2010, Remedy Entertainment released ''VideoGame/DeathRally'' for free. The only part that didn't made the cut for this version is the multiplayer module. The good reception of this release eventually led to a LighterAndSofter [[VideoGame/DeathRally2011 reboot]].
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords'' got an ''[[MilestoneCelebration Anniversary Edition]]'' rerelease as Platform/DSiWare in 2011 to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary. It was available for free download for about four months, and then gone, only available for redownload if you got it during that window. It was later briefly made available a second time for ''four days'' in 2014 to celebrate the success of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'', also for free. Notably, unlike the original ''Four Swords'', this rerelease has a single-player mode -- and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes it's anyone's guess when, or even IF, it'll be made available again]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* The Love Joint studio releases a free version each chapter of their work for free. While they never promise when they'll do a free release, they average about 2 to 3 months after the paid version comes out.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Creator/{{Nelvana}} has released much of its back catalogue for free streaming on [=YouTube=] and Tubi TV, including ''WesternAnimation/{{Redwall}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Franklin}}'', ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Babar}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Detentionaire}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Wayside}}'', ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'', and Seasons 1-5 of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents''.
* Creator/{{Studio 100}} has also released its catalogue for free on [=YouTube=] and Tubi, including ''WesternAnimation/TheBrothersFlub'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Twipsy}}''.
* Several cartoons have been spotted on Website/YouTube with official channels that have episodes uploaded for free, when the show originally aired on a cable channel which usually costs money. Among these are:
** All of ''WesternAnimation/FatDogMendoza''.
** All of ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone''
** All of ''WesternAnimation/TheBellflowerBunnies'' (however, it was later [[NoExportForYou region-locked]])
** Creator/WildBrain and its various channels have uploaded loads of shows - both animated and live action - owned by Creator/DHXMedia and its subsidiaries as well as other companies. The cartoons include, but are most certainly not limited to, ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Robotboy}}'', ''WesternAnimation/MonaTheVampire'', ''WesternAnimation/BobTheBuilder'' and ''WesternAnimation/MegaManRubySpears''.
* Mark Marek, who did the Henry and June segments on ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'', posted the entire series (barring "A Nut In Every Bite!" due to a missing tape master) onto his website in 2015. As Nickelodeon's chances of releasing the show on DVD or streaming services is extremely slim due to [[ScrewedByTheLawyers copyright issues with some of the one-shot segments and music]], this is the closest thing the show has to an official release.
* Most of the Nickelodeon run of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' has been uploaded by Studio 100 (under license from Viacom) to the Kids TV English [=YouTube=] channel.
* Several episodes of ''WesternAnimation/LittleEinsteins'' have been uploaded to [=YouTube=] for free onto the show's official channel.
** Disney Junior uploaded the episode "The Birthday Balloons" to their [=YouTube=] channel.
* Creator/TMSEntertainment has uploaded all episodes of ''WesternAnimation/GalaxyHigh'' to [=YouTube=] along with their animes.
* [[Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection American Girl]] uploaded all two seasons of their ''[[Toys/WellieWishers [=WellieWishers=]]]'' series on [=YouTube=] in 2020.
* Run with Us Productions has [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdH4iKoNENzOilhEmfzGHA uploaded the entire original series]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'' to [=YouTube=].
* ''WesternAnimation/KongTheAnimatedSeries'' has been officially released on [=YouTube=] for free by its creators, Creator/TheOceanGroup and Creator/DOconFilmsProductions. You can watch the entire show [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBzo4bMsaayq0to9-b0Q728KuZNo8oACb here]].
* The first two seasons of ''WesternAnimation/BlinkyBill'' have been officially uploaded to [=YouTube=] [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaW_NSM_5c1ItNSF0XbrFQpLJEdqtnQI5 here]].
* As of December 1, 2020, the official ''WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}}'' [=YouTube=] channel, which previously uploaded only episode clips, has started uploading compilations of full episodes. However, they later started uploading compilations of clips for some reason.
* Creator/DreamWorksAnimation has started to do this with their properties under the [=DreamWorks=] Classics banner, such as ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', ''WesternAnimation/PostmanPat'' and the ''[[WesternAnimation/NoddysToylandAdventures Noddy]]'' franchise.
* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': In late June 2021, Creator/PBSKids uploaded both of the show's specials for free on [=YouTube=]: ''[[https://youtu.be/-t4hwmeKWEg Back to Bortron 7]]'' and ''[[https://youtu.be/CjGIQ_-Oruw One Small Step]]''. However, they're region-locked outside of the United States, but at least it's something. They were later removed in July 2022.
* The Official [=YouTube=] channel for ''WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther'' has a large portion of the show's archive.
* The official [=YouTube=] channel for ''Franchise/GIJoe'' began uploading full episodes of ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' in 2020. ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeSigma6'' would soon follow, with ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeRenegades'' having already taken a turn on Tubi.
* Two of Hasbro's other major properties, ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' and ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' have also dropped many of their seasons on both [=YouTube=] and Tubi.
** In the case of the former, ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' would be released in full on Hasbro Pulse's channel, ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015'' and ''WesternAnimation/TransformersCyberverse'' on the brand's official channel (with Cyberverse being released during its initial run), and most of the other entries (including ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', ''Anime/TransformersArmada'' and ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'''s later seasons) making their home on Tubi.
** The latter has also made its home on [=YouTube=] with the official channel having the entire series up to ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' (at current), and ''[[Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge Dino Charge]]''.
* The cartoon series ''WesternAnimation/SomethingElse'', which is based on a children's book by Kathryn Cave, has all its episodes uploaded to [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUjrgNt6GKAeRxdfb0eDYVw an official [=YouTube=] channel]].
* Sarah, Duchess of York has made most of ''WesternAnimation/BudgieTheLittleHelicopter'' [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL23MRvLMnTDPlW2eUgS6FXxa-7vSixF1W available for free]] on her official [=YouTube=] channel.
* The official ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}'' [=YouTube=] channel has been uploading both ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' and ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters'' since 2021 upon the release of ''Film/GhostbustersAfterlife''.
* [=WikoKiko=] uploaded many of the episodes of ''[[Literature/TheDragonSeries Dragon]]'' onto their [=YouTube=] channel.
* Disney Junior has uploaded several episodes of ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouseClubhouse'' to their [=YouTube=] channel. The few they had uploaded proved to be so popular that they ultimately uploaded the entire first season. A similar strategy has since been used by some of their [[Creator/DisneyChannel sister]] [[Creator/DisneyXD networks]].
* The channel Puddle Jumper uploaded episodes of ''The Toothbrush Family'', ''Ketchup: Cats Who Cook'' and the AllCGICartoon version of ''Series/BananasInPyjamas'' to their [=YouTube=] channel.
* The Creator/{{Boomerang}} streaming service has a few select episodes that can be streamed without charge to entice potential subscribers. In addition, every ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' episode and movie on the service was made free for one weekend in 2019 to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary.
* The entirety of ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'' has been uploaded for free viewing to official [=YouTube=] channels in French and English, respectively, alongside bonus videos, music, and the SequelSeries ''[[Series/CodeLyokoEvolution Evolution]]''.
* The ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' Website/YouTube channel re-released every episode of the show up to "Lemon Aid; Hog Noon; Video Airlines", as well as the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials for the franchise.
* The [=YouTube=] channel for Creator/DisneyXD has uploaded the entire first seasons of both ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', and ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017''. The former also has [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbStarWars both of]] [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbMissionMarvel their crossover episodes]] uploaded. In addition, a number of episodes for ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'', ''WesternAnimation/ChipAndDaleRescueRangers'', ''WesternAnimation/MarvelsSpiderMan'', and ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries'' are also available on their [=YouTube=] channel.
** Similarly, Creator/DisneyChannel has the complete first season of ''WesternAnimation/RapunzelsTangledAdventure'' and the third season of ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' (albeit region-blocked to select areas) on their [=YouTube=] channel.
[[/folder]]

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