Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

PS Plus adds 2021’s ‘Game of the Year’ but loses Stray in July

By

Sony confirmed the next batch of games coming to and leaving its PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium game catalogs. There are lots of great new additions, with The Game Awards’ 2021 Game of the Year, It Takes Two, headlining the batch, while two Twisted Metal games also arrive ahead of its Peacock TV show. That said, PlayStation Plus’ catalog will lose Stray, the viral cat game from July 2022, which was the first day one release on PlayStation Plus Extra.

Key art for July's PlayStation Plus game catalog additions.
Sony Interactive Entertainment

Here’s a complete list of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games coming to the service on July 18.

  • It Takes Two
  • Sniper Elite 5
  • Snowrunner
  • World War Z
  • The Ascent
  • Undertale
  • Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
  • Melty Blood: Type Lumina
  • Dysmantle
  • Circus Electrique
  • Dynasty Warriors 9
  • Samurai Warriors 5
  • My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure
  • Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R
  • Gravity Crash Portable
  • Twisted Metal
  • Twisted Metal 2
Recommended Videos

Overall, that’s an excellent game lineup. It Takes Two is a fantastic co-op game that garnered well-deserved acclaim for how it forces players to work together throughout an adventure starring two parents who plan to get a divorce. Sniper Elite 5 and World War Z are solid shooters, while Undertale is one of the best indie games of the past decade. The classics catalog was primarily used for a bit of brand synergy, as players can now try the first two games in the Twisted Metal series before watching the show on July 27.

The main cat from Stray looking into the foreground with cyberpunk buildings behind him
Annapurna Interactive

Unfortunately, several notable games will also leave the catalog on July 18. The most shocking is Stray, a PS5 exclusive starring a cat that was also the first game to release on PlayStation Plus Extra on day one. It leaves ahead of an Xbox port’s release next month. Marvel’s Avengers is also leaving the service ahead of its delisting in September. This is the full list of games leaving PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium this month.

  • Stray
  • Marvel’s Avengers
  • Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell
  • BioShock Remastered
  • BioShock 2 Remastered
  • BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition
  • Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
  • Rogue Stormers
  • Fluster Cluck
  • Raiden V: Director’s Cut

Stray is a fairly significant loss for PlayStation Plus Extra players; thankfully, new additions like It Takes Two, Undertale, and the first two Twisted Metal games make its removal sting a lot less. All of these games come or leave the service on July 18.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
3 PS Plus free demos you should try this weekend (May 17-19)
Peter attacks enemies with the Symbiote Suit in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

One of the most underrated features of PlayStation Plus Premium is the game trials that it offers. Although Sony does not put its AAA games on the service the day they release, it and several other third-party publishers offer up free demos that essentially give players full access to the game for a limited period of time. It's a great way to test a new game before you buy and it also gives you an excuse to try out a variety of different games this weekend without making the time commitment to beat them all. I looked through the full list of game trials that PlayStation Plus Premium offers and pinpointed three of the demos that are most worth your time.

The first is a two-hour demo for one of the PlayStation 5's biggest exclusives. The next will give you a two-hour taste of the latest fighting game in a long-running franchise. Finally, the one-hour trial of one of the year's best indies will get you hooked on the card-based roguelike that consumed my life for a bit.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Read more
You need to check out this killer action game on PS Plus this month
A character in Rollerdrome skates in an arena.

Of the three games available for no additional cost with a PlayStation Plus Essential subscription this February, the best game isn’t the highest-profile one. A lot of attention is going to Foamstars, the odd multiplayer game Square Enix launched free on PS Plus, but the real gem of February 2024’s PS Plus Essential lineup is Rollerdrome from Roll7 and Private Division.

First released for PS5 and PC in August 2022, I previously described this game as Max Payne meets Skate. Essentially, Rollerdrome is a sports combat game where players must roller-skate around and do tricks in order to accrue ammo used to shoot enemies with guns. It’s a simple gameplay loop and premise that Rollerdrome gets the most out of, and it's a must-play for those looking for some simple yet satisfying action.
Blood sport
In Rollerdrome, players control a character named Kara Hassan as she ascends the ranks in the titular sport, which sees “players” combat each other with deadly weapons. While many of the enemies Kara takes on are mostly static, she can skate around on a pair of rollerblades. Rollerdrome features a full-on combo system like a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater or Skate titles, although it’s not as punishing if you mess up an input or chain together a combo properly.

Read more
One of the best Lego games ever kicks off PS Plus’ 2024 additions
A scene from Lego City undercover.

The January 2024 lineup of new titles coming to PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra's Game Catalog was just revealed. It's a muted month for the service, with the loss of titles like It Takes Two being more noteworthy than the gains. The highest-profile game coming is the Resident Evil 2 remake, which is being added to Xbox Game Pass on January 16. Still, there is one dark horse addition that I'd highly recommend: Lego City Undercover.

Initially released for Wii U in 2013 by TT Fusion and WB Games and remastered for PS4 and other platforms in 2017, Lego City Undercover is a charming open-world game based on the official Lego City playsets. I have fond memories of playing this game on Wii U, as it's a surprisingly focused yet robust open-world experience, essentially being a kid-friendly take on Grand Theft Auto that puts players in control of a cop instead of a criminal. Although it's primarily aimed at kids, older players will get a kick out of all the references to TV shows and movies like The Shawshank Redemption.

Read more