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When Did 'Free Expansion' Become a Flex? The Free DLC Renaissance of 2026

Silksong's Sea of Sorrow expansion is free. So were Terraria's decade of updates, Valheim's biome drops, and half of Palworld's biggest content. In 2026, 'this expansion is free' has become a marketing headline in its own right. Here is why studios keep giving away their biggest content, what it actually buys them, and where the free-DLC model breaks.