Sony Removes Games From PS Plus, Says It Keeps Service Fresh

For gamers who enjoy sampling a wide variety of titles without paying full price for each one, video game subscription services are fantastic. However, it's frustrating when a game you were eagerly anticipating disappears from the service entirely. Why do companies like PlayStation and Xbox routinely pull games from services such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass, including their own first-party titles? Recently, a Sony executive offered an explanation, at least from PlayStation's point of view.

In a Game File interview with Nick Maguire, PlayStation's vice president of global services, the topic of regularly removing games from the service was raised. Just this past May, the company removed over 20 titles. Some of these removals are straightforward—like Grand Theft Auto 5 exiting the service, likely due to expiring third-party licensing agreements. However, it's more surprising to see older Sony first-party games, such as Infamous: Second Son, Resistance: Fall of Man, and Resistance 2, get delisted.

“Our catalog currently spans around 80 curated collections of games,” Maguire responded. “Our goal is to keep the offering fresh and introduce new titles. Occasionally, that means removing a selection of games simultaneously to maintain an appealing lineup and help subscribers discover new experiences.”

Throughout the interview, Maguire also highlighted the continued success of PlayStation Plus, noting that user engagement "has never been higher." While he didn't comment directly on how recent subscription price increases impacted this, nor did he share specific subscriber figures, he elaborated on Sony's strategy for selecting games to add. For example, the company seeks "opportunities to grow a franchise," such as adding a game to the service shortly before its sequel's release. He added that Sony aims to add roughly one new classic game per month, though achieving this consistently can be challenging due to the time required for emulation.

One strategy PlayStation won't be adopting soon is the Xbox approach of adding its own first-party games to the service on their launch day. “We've remained consistent with our overall strategy,” Maguire stated. “We aren't currently planning to release games on the service at launch.”

Sony recently announced July's new additions to PlayStation Plus, featuring Diablo 4, SNK’s The King of Fighters XV, and Don't Nod’s Jusant.