The video game Killing Floor 2 has offered a promotional programme allowing players to receive free cosmetic items and in-game tickets. This initiative, referred to as a community gratitude grant, provides a one-time grant of items and tickets to players who log into the game. The programme is tied to the game's "Zed-conomy" and Trading Floor systems, which are optional cosmetic item ecosystems within the game. This article details the available information on how to access these free items, what they consist of, and the associated rules, based solely on the provided source materials.
The free items are distributed as a reward for long-term community support. According to the announcement, the grant includes "previously time-limited seasonal reward items and a stack of all 4 seasons’ tickets." These items are not available through purchase but are granted automatically upon a specific action. The programme appears to be a permanent offer for eligible players, with no stated deadline for redemption, though community discussions suggest acting promptly is advisable.
Programme Access and Eligibility
To receive the free items and tickets, a player must own a copy of Killing Floor 2 on a supported platform and log into the game. The source material specifies that the game must be launched and the login process must occur, which is automatic for users logged into their Steam or Epic Games Store accounts. Merely having the game in a library is insufficient; the game must be run. The system requires the player to actually launch the game client, which means automated tools like ASF (Archeology Steam Farm) will not work, as they do not trigger the in-game login sequence required for the grant.
Eligibility is based on owning the game. The grant is available to players on both Steam and the Epic Games Store, as confirmed by user reports. One user noted, "It works! Thank you for your post about this," in response to instructions for Steam. Another user confirmed, "I got the items on Steam and EGS." There is no indication of regional restrictions within the provided data, suggesting the offer is available to all owners regardless of location, though the primary discussion originates from a global community forum.
The grant is described as a "one-time grant." This implies that once the items and tickets are added to a player's inventory, they will not be granted again on subsequent logins, even if the player logs in on a different platform or after reinstalling the game. One user reported receiving the items twice, stating, "I never played KF before, but I logged in and got these items (I got two sets of them for some reason too)." This is the only mention of duplicate grants and may represent an anomaly.
Item Types and Inventory Management
The free grant consists of two primary components: cosmetic items/skins and tickets. Upon successful login, these items are added directly to the player's in-game inventory without a notification. Players must navigate to the inventory section within the Killing Floor 2 game client to view their new items.
Cosmetic Items and Skins: These include wearable cosmetic accessories and weapon skins. According to the game's FAQ, cosmetic items and weapon skins are classified into six rarity grades: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Exceptional, Master Crafted, and Precious. Weapon skins are further categorised by wear condition: Mint, Field-Tested, and Battle Scarred. The items granted through this programme are "previously time-limited seasonal reward items," meaning they were originally available only during specific in-game events or seasons.
Tickets: These are a special type of item used within the game's crafting system. The grant provides a "stack of all 4 seasons’ tickets," allowing players to participate in crafting events. Tickets are marketable on the Steam Community Market, unlike the cosmetic items. However, user reports indicate that the market value is extremely low, with one source noting, "they're like half a million (no joke, it's literal) of each selling at minimum price. Don't count on selling them easily." This suggests that while tradable, the economic value is minimal.
Trading and Market Restrictions
A critical aspect of the free items concerns their tradability. The source data explicitly states that "Items and skins are not tradable nor marketable." This restriction applies to the cosmetic items and skins received from the community gratitude grant. This is consistent with the game's FAQ, which notes that some items, such as those obtained through the in-game tutorial, are not tradeable. The free grant items fall into a similar non-tradeable category, meaning they are permanently bound to the receiving account.
In contrast, the tickets obtained through the same grant are marketable. Players can list these tickets on the Steam Community Market for sale. However, due to the high volume of tickets distributed and low demand, the market price is negligible. This makes selling them impractical for most users.
The Zed-conomy and Trading Floor Context
Understanding the free items requires context about Killing Floor 2's internal economy, known as the Zed-conomy. This system is entirely optional and allows players to buy, trade, and craft cosmetic items. The Trading Floor is the in-game store where items can be purchased using real money via the Steam Wallet. The free items and tickets exist outside the direct purchase economy but are part of the broader ecosystem.
The game's developer, Tripwire Interactive, has stated that the Zed-conomy is designed to fund future free content updates, including new perks, maps, and zeds. The free items granted are part of this ecosystem but are distributed without cost to foster community engagement. The developer emphasises that participation in the Trading Floor is not mandatory, and players can enjoy the core gameplay without engaging with the cosmetic economy.
Crafting with Tickets
The tickets received in the grant can be used for crafting. According to user reports, the tickets are used in a crafting system with an element of random number generation (RNG). One user shared their experience: "Got the tickets, enough for 12 crafts. Ran them, got 9 rares (supposed 50% chance), 3 exceptional (30%) and zero mastercrafted (20%)." This indicates that using tickets for crafting does not guarantee a specific rarity of item but follows a stated probability distribution.
The crafting process allows players to combine materials to create new items. Most items can be broken down into crafting materials, except for Master-Crafted items, which can be crafted but not recycled. The free tickets provide a means to engage with this system without purchasing tickets separately.
Platform-Specific Considerations
The programme works on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. The process is identical: install the game (approximately 95GB), launch it, and log in with the associated account. The game automatically logs in with the user's platform credentials. There is no mention of the game being available on other platforms, such as the Microsoft Store, within the provided data.
For players who own the game on multiple platforms, the grant may be available on each platform independently. One user reported receiving items on both Steam and Epic Games Store. However, the source material does not explicitly confirm whether the grant is platform-specific or account-specific. The safest assumption is that the grant is tied to the game ownership on each platform, but this is not definitively stated.
Important Limitations and Uncertainties
The source material contains several points of uncertainty or limitation. First, there is no official end date for the programme. Community discussions speculate that it might be tied to the "Winter Quality Update" and could run until spring, but this is not confirmed. The advice is to log in as soon as possible to ensure receipt.
Second, the exact contents of the grant are not itemised in the source. The description is "previously time-limited seasonal reward items and a stack of all 4 seasons’ tickets." The specific items, their names, and exact quantities are not provided. Players must check their inventory to see what they receive.
Third, the grant may result in duplicate items if a player already owns some of the time-limited items. The source mentions one user receiving two sets, but this is not elaborated upon. The game's FAQ does not address how duplicates are handled in the inventory, but the user report suggests they are stacked.
Finally, the reliability of the information varies. The primary source for the grant details is a Steam Community announcement, which is an official channel. However, the user discussions on SteamGifts are unverified reports. While multiple users confirm receiving the items, the lack of an official item list means the exact contents remain somewhat ambiguous.
Conclusion
The community gratitude programme in Killing Floor 2 offers a free grant of cosmetic items and tickets to players who log into the game. This is a one-time offer with no stated expiry, though prompt action is recommended. The items are non-tradable, while the tickets are marketable but have low value. The programme is accessible to owners on both Steam and Epic Games Store and is part of the game's broader optional cosmetic economy. Players should check their in-game inventory after logging in to claim their items. The provided source material confirms the existence of the programme and its basic rules, though specific item details are not listed.