How to Claim Flotsam Free on Epic: Launcher Download & Account Setup

Epic gives away games every week, and Flotsam is on this week's list in the China region. Most first-timers get stuck on the boring part: where the launcher actually comes from, how the account sign-up works, and what all those checkout screens mean.

This page covers claiming the game only, not how to play it. Done in order, it takes about fifteen minutes.

The claim window

Epic rotates its free games weekly, usually on Thursday. This batch runs from 5 November 2026, 16:00 UTC to 12 November 2026, 16:00 UTC.Official

After the window closes the game returns to full price until the next sale.

Step 1: Create an Epic account

1. Open the Epic store page, click Sign In in the top right, then choose Sign Up.
2. Enter an email, a password and a display name. Use a password of at least 8 characters and an inbox you can actually open.
3. Click the verification link in the email. Unverified accounts cannot sign in, let alone claim anything.

Set the country to where you actually live. The China store runs the same weekly giveaways, and Flotsam is on this week's list there.

Step 2: Download and install the Epic Games Launcher

Download only from the official page: store.epicgames.com/en-US/download, where the button reads "Download Epic Games Launcher". On Windows you get an .msi installer — double-click it and follow the prompts.

• System requirements: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11. Epic's help pages state the launcher does not support Windows 7 or 8, so a failed install is a platform limit, not a mistake on your side.
• The launcher itself needs about 3 GB of disk space. Check which drive has room before you start.
• Sign in with the same account once it finishes.

Step 3: Claim the game

You can claim in a browser or in the launcher; the browser is faster and works even before the launcher is installed. The steps are the same:

1. Sign in and open the Store.
2. Scroll to the free games section on the store front page and open Flotsam.
3. Press Get.
4. On the checkout screen, confirm the total is 0, then place the order.
5. When you see the game added to your library, you are done.

Claiming needs no payment method and never charges automatically. Open your Library right away to confirm the game is there.

Step 4: Install and launch

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and choose Library.
2. Select Flotsam and press Install.
3. Pick an install location — the default is the C: drive, so switch drives if it is nearly full.
4. Press Launch when the download finishes.

The game supports a Simplified Chinese interface. If it starts in English, switch the language in the in-game settings. This site has not checked the language menu in the Epic build specifically, so go by what the game shows.

Six places beginners get stuck

1. Claiming asks for two-factor authentication. Epic's help pages say some free games require 2FA. Open account settings, go to Password & Security, enable either an email code or an authenticator app, then claim again.
2. The verification email never arrives. Check spam, resend it, and give it a minute or two. A mistyped address means starting over with a new account.
3. The checkout screen shows a price. You selected a bundle or DLC — go back to the base game.
4. The game is not in the Library after claiming. Refresh, and make sure the browser and the launcher are signed into the same account.
5. The downloaded installer is tiny, or an .exe. That is not the official file. Delete it and start again from the official download page.
6. The launcher download is slow. Try another time of day or another network. This has nothing to do with the game, so avoid "accelerated" clients from third parties.

Windows 7, Mac and underpowered PCs

• Minimum specs for the game: Windows 7 SP1, Intel Core i5 or equivalent, 8 GB RAM, GTX 650 or equivalent, 600 MB of storage. Those are the figures on the Steam store page.
• The launcher asks for more: Windows 10 64-bit or newer. A Windows 7/8 machine can claim the game in a browser, but cannot install the launcher, so it cannot play it yet.
• There is no Mac version. You can claim it, but not play it on a Mac.
• Nothing is lost if your PC is too weak. The copy stays in your library for whenever you upgrade.

Epic versus Steam

• Same game, same developer. Steam lists it at $24.99 / ¥80; this Epic giveaway costs nothing.
• This site has not compared the two builds point by point, so save locations and update timing should be treated as platform-specific.
• Once claimed, the copy stays in your library after the giveaway ends.

What to read next

• Flotsam beginner guide: the first-day build order.
• How to get water: running dry is what ends most new towns.
• How to get food: the fishing chain and why drifters still go hungry.

What this page has not verified

Compiled on 6 November 2026; the following has not been tested:

• the actual install size of the Epic build, and whether its language menu matches Steam exactly;
• the current rules for switching the region on a China-region account (Epic said in 2020 that China-region accounts cannot switch region; whether that still holds is unverified);
• the China-region price after the giveaway ends.

If the page differs from this description, trust the official Epic page.