It's a great time to be a gaming fan right now, as multiple platforms hold their annual summer sales.

Not only has Sony launched its PlayStation Summer Sale with discounts on hundreds of PS4 and PlayStation 5 games, but Epic Games has just done the same.

In fact, to celebrate the Epic Games Summer Sale, the company is giving away a fantastic freebie with potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay.

For the next week only, Epic Games Store customers can grab a free copy of Civilization VI Platinum Edition, no strings attached.

In order to claim your free download, simply visit the Epic Games Store and login to your account.

Once logged in, visit the Civilization VI: Platinum Edition Store page and click 'GET' to add the game to your library.

After adding it to your library, the game is yours forever. You can download and start playing now, or keep it for when you've run out of other games to play.

In addition to the main game, the Platinum Edition comes with the Vikings Scenario Pack, Poland Scenario Pack, the Australia Civilization and Scenario Pack, the Persia and Macedon Civilization and Scenario Pack, the Nubia Civilization and Scenario Pack, plus the Khmer and Indonesia Civilization and Scenario Pack.

You'll also have access to the Civ 6 Rise and Fall expansion, as well as the Gathering Storm expansion.

Civilization VI is a popular strategy game in which players build cities, expand and evolve.

"Civilization VI offers new ways to engage with your world: cities now physically expand across the map, active research in technology and culture unlocks new potential, and competing leaders will pursue their own agendas based on their historical traits as you race for one of five ways to achieve victory in the game," reads the official description.

Civilization VI is free until 4pm BST UK time on the afternoon of July 24.

It will be replaced by tower defence game Legion TD 2, which will be free for the following week.