About Fanatical Global

Fanatical sells PC game keys, and it is an official store rather than a reseller marketplace, which is the distinction that matters most when buying games this way.

What you are actually buying

Orders here deliver a key that you redeem on Steam, or occasionally on another platform named on the product page, and the game then lives in that account permanently. There is no disc and no separate launcher of Fanatical's own. Keys come from the publishers directly, so they are region-appropriate and will not be revoked later, which is not something every cut-price key site can say. Alongside single titles the shop runs build-your-own bundles, where picking a set number of games from a list drops the price per game, and larger themed bundles built around one publisher or genre.

Checking before you pay

Two things repay a look on every listing. The first is the platform and any region restriction, printed on the page rather than buried; most keys are worldwide but some are limited. The second is what edition you are buying, since a base game, a deluxe edition and a season pass often sit side by side at similar-looking prices. For anything with an online component it is also worth confirming the servers are still running before buying an older title cheaply.

Applying a code

Add the games to the basket and enter the code there before the payment step, then check the total has moved. Codes are frequently restricted to a category or to full-price titles, so one that refuses on a bundle or a title already in a sale has not necessarily expired. The star deal and flash sale prices are cut at source and will not take a further code on top. One code goes in per order.

When the prices fall

Discounting on PC keys follows a predictable rhythm. The big seasonal sales cluster around the summer and winter Steam events, publishers cut hard on a back catalogue when a sequel is announced, and a title's price usually drops sharply about six months after release. Pre-orders rarely represent a saving unless a code applies to them, which on this shop it sometimes does. The mailing list carries the bundle launches, which sell out on the popular ones.