Valve CEO Gabe Newell has become a household name among hardcore gamers as his digital distribution service Steam has been giving away insane discounts on digital copies of games and other media. Moreover, the program occasionally dishes out games that are deemed free which players are always on the lookout for.

Currently, the said platform has dished out numerous titles in the past months coming from both indie and AAA game developers. That being said, here are some of the free games that were recently released that might catch someone's fancy.

Hi-Rez Studios' "Paladins" is a first-person multiplayer shooter that has a striking resemblance to Blizzard Entertainment's "Overwatch. However, the former was actually introduced to gamers first. With that mentioned, the game maker stated that they were not influenced by the latter and went on to say that "Team Fortress 2" actually made them create one of the famed shoot 'em up titles.

Speaking of "Team Fortress 2," the game is also part of the roster of free games for 2016. Released over nine years ago, its game elements are almost the same as "Paladins" that was released to all major consoles during that time.

Another Valve-produced title, "Defense of the Ancients 2" or better known as just "DOTA 2" is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game that will put players' strategizing skills to the test against other online players as they attempt to crush their equally secured base. The online game was an instant hit and is still active in the eSports scene.

Meanwhile, other titles inducted into the free games roster include, "PlanetSide 2," "Marvel Puzzle Quest," "Robocraft" "Marvel Heroes 2016," and "Smite."

Video game enthusiasts might want to check Steam's website and browse its library of games including the free-to-play titles as there are tons to choose from.