Which is *kind of* weird, but still cool for anyone who hasn't played the 4X strategy sci-fi epic in that three year period. The free weekend opportunity has already kicked off and ends May 12.

Here's the official word from Paradox:

With constant updates since its launch in 2016, today’s Stellaris is bigger, deeper and more fun than ever. Ordinarily retailing for a suggested price of $39.99 USD, the deep and engaging gameplay of Stellaris will be available for free on Steam this weekend.

Featuring deep strategic gameplay, a rich and enormously diverse selection of alien races and emergent storytelling, Stellaris has engaging challenging gameplay that rewards interstellar exploration as you discover, interact and learn more about the rich and mysterious universe you will encounter during your travels.

“It feels like just yesterday we were launching Stellaris, unsure of how people would take to it, but now it has its own thriving community and is celebrating its third anniversary!” said Daniel Moregård, Game Director for Stellaris via press release. “It’s an occasion we’d like to celebrate with the amazing community who filled the galaxy of Stellaris with their stories. We hope players new and old can enjoy this Free Weekend to the fullest!”

Click here to grab the game free now on Steam, and watch a trailer for Stellaris embedded below.