Amazon's Twitch Prime Is Now Prime Gaming, Getting More Free Content

Twitch Prime, a service included with any Amazon Prime subscription, is getting a rebrand. Today, Amazon launched Prime Gaming, which will replace Twitch Prime going forward and offer even more free gaming content for Amazon Prime members.

Twitch Prime has been one of the more overlooked sources for free games and loot every month compared to subscriptions like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold, despite the fact that every one of Amazon's 150 million+ Prime subscribers has access to it. Since 2016, Twitch Prime has offered free in-game loot, free PC games, and a free Twitch channel subscription every month. Amazon has been ramping up its offerings in recent months, partnering with publishers like Rockstar and Riot to offer exclusive in-game items for major titles like Grand Theft Auto Online and League of Legends. The number of free games has grown exponentially as well, with over 20 games up for grabs this month, including SNK arcade classics like Metal Slug 2 and SNK 40th Anniversary Collection.

With Prime Gaming, Amazon aims to keep growing its catalog of freebies and partnering with major publishers to offer free content. While Prime Gaming's free loot can be claimed across all gaming platforms, including the next-generation consoles when those launch, the free indie games will still only be available to claim on PC for now, Amazon said in a press briefing.

The name change is largely a rebranding to make the benefits more clear to existing Prime members and allow Prime Gaming to more neatly sit alongside other pillars of the Prime membership, including Prime Video, Prime Reading, and Amazon Music. But Prime Gaming will also make it easier to take advantage of these benefits--going forward, you'll be able to claim your free games and loot directly at Amazon. Some free content drops require you to link a third-party account such as EA or Rockstar, but Amazon is simplifying the process by no longer requiring members to link their Twitch account as well. With Prime Gaming, only your Amazon Prime account and specific game account need to be linked.

An Amazon Prime membership costs $119/year (or $13 a month). On top of the Prime Gaming benefits, you get free two-day shipping on many Amazon products, and sometimes even one-day or same-day shipping depending on where you live. You also get free release-date shipping on select games and other pre-order items. Plus, the membership unlocks unlimited access to Prime Video, Prime Music, and many other benefits. Fortunately, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial to try Prime out if you're interested.

Prime Gaming's free offerings for August 2020 are available now--check out all the free games and loot up for grabs this month.