It is the first of the month, and every PlayStation owner knows what that means. A fresh batch of free PlayStation Plus games is almost here. Search interest in PlayStation Plus July 2026 is spiking as subscribers wait for Sony to reveal the new Essential lineup. Here is the honest, up-to-date picture: what Sony has actually confirmed, when the new games arrive, what leaves the catalog on July 21, and which titles fans are hoping for, with rumors kept clearly separate from facts.
| Quick Answer As of July 1, 2026, Sony has not yet revealed the PlayStation Plus Essential monthly games for July. Based on Sony’s usual schedule, the lineup is expected to be announced on July 1 and become available on Tuesday, July 7. June’s Essential games stay claimable until July 6. One July addition is already confirmed: Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy joins PS Plus Premium in mid-July. On the catalog side, eight games leave PS Plus Extra and Premium on July 21, led by Risk of Rain 2 and Tropico 6, with the full new Extra and Premium lineup due July 15. No reliable leaks for the Essential lineup exist yet, so any list circulating online is a rumor. |
Key Takeaways
- Sony is expected to reveal the PlayStation Plus July 2026 Essential lineup on July 1, with games live July 7.
- June’s Essential games stay claimable until July 6, so grab them before they go.
- Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy joins PS Plus Premium in mid-July, the one July title Sony has already confirmed.
- Eight games leave the Extra and Premium catalog on July 21, including Risk of Rain 2 and Tropico 6.
- No reliable Essential leaks exist yet, so treat any lineup list as a rumor until Sony confirms it.
PlayStation Plus July 2026 Release Dates
Sony runs PlayStation Plus on a predictable monthly rhythm, which makes the key July dates easy to plan around. The Essential monthly games follow one schedule, while the larger Extra and Premium catalog updates follow another.
| Event | Expected Date | ||
| June Essential games leave | July 6, 2026 | ||
| July Essential games revealed | On or around July 1, 2026 | ||
| July Essential games available | July 7, 2026 | ||
| Extra and Premium lineup revealed | July 15, 2026 | ||
| Eight catalog games leave | July 21, 2026 | ||
| New Extra and Premium games live | July 21, 2026 | ||
| Worth Knowing Sony almost always reveals the next Essential lineup on the Wednesday before the first Tuesday of the month, and the games go live that first Tuesday. For July, that points to a reveal around July 1 and availability on July 7. Dates can shift slightly, so treat them as expected rather than locked. | |||
PS Plus Essential: What Is Confirmed for July
Here is the part fans keep searching for, answered plainly. As of July 1, 2026, Sony has not officially revealed the three Essential monthly games for July. That reveal should land any moment, following the usual schedule.
There are also no reliable leaks for the July Essential lineup this month. As Forbes noted in its July predictions roundup, nothing credible has surfaced ahead of the reveal, so any lineup list circulating right now is guesswork rather than confirmed news. The safest move is to wait for Sony’s official announcement.
Sony has already locked in one July title, though it sits on the Premium tier. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, a cult-classic action game known for its physics-based psychic powers, joins PS Plus Premium in mid-July as part of Sony’s classics catalog. You can always confirm the current lineup on the official What’s New on PS Plus page.
| Please Note PlayStation Plus is a live service, and this article reflects what Sony had confirmed as of July 1, 2026. Once the official Essential reveal lands, the monthly lineup will be updated. Always confirm the current games on the PlayStation Store before planning downloads. |
June’s Essential Games You Can Still Claim
If you have not claimed June’s free games yet, you are running out of time. They remain available to add to your library until July 6, right before July’s lineup takes over. Adding a game to your library keeps it yours for as long as your subscription stays active.
- Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition. Obsidian’s backyard survival hit, the complete version with all major updates and DLC, playable in four-player co-op.
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. A party fighter featuring Nickelodeon characters, good for local multiplayer.
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. A four-player co-op shooter that has been substantially rebuilt since its rocky 2022 launch and is now well regarded.
For the full breakdown of these titles and step-by-step claiming instructions, see our guide to the PlayStation Plus June 2026 games and how to claim them. It walks through exactly how to add each one to your library before the deadline.
What Is Leaving PlayStation Plus on July 21
While new games arrive, others rotate out. Sony confirmed the July removals through the Last Chance to Play section of the PS Plus app. In an update, Sony pushed several originally-July removals back to August, so eight games now leave on July 21 rather than the larger batch first reported. These departures affect the Extra and Premium Game Catalog only, not the Essential monthly games.
| Game Leaving July 21 | Genre | ||
| Risk of Rain 2 | Roguelike co-op shooter | ||
| Tropico 6 | City-builder | ||
| Cursed to Golf | Roguelike golf | ||
| Source of Madness | Action roguelite | ||
| Hundred Days: Winemaking Simulator | Simulation | ||
| Get Even | Psychological thriller | ||
| Infinite Minigolf | Sports | ||
| The Jackbox Party Pack 9 | Party games | ||
| Quick Take When a game leaves the Extra or Premium catalog, your access ends even if it is already installed. Your saves are kept, so if you buy the game later or it returns, your progress carries over. Risk of Rain 2 is the clear must-play before it goes. | |||
A further five games, including Bomber Crew and Clash: Artifacts of Chaos, now leave on August 18 instead. For the complete rundown and honest picks on what to finish first, see our full look at the PS Plus July 2026 games leaving the catalog.
New Games Still in the Extra and Premium Catalog
June brought a strong wave of catalog additions, and most are still available heading into July. A recent change is worth noting: as of June 2026, Sony now staggers new Extra and Premium additions in weekly waves rather than one big drop, so these arrived across the month rather than all at once.
- Final Fantasy XVI. The acclaimed action RPG was June’s headline addition, joining the catalog on June 16.
- Black Desert. The sprawling online action MMO joined the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in June, adding a deep long-term option for subscribers.
- More June additions. Sonic X Shadow Generations, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Farming Simulator 25, and Blades of Fire also landed across the month.
Sony reveals the full new Extra and Premium lineup for July on July 15, with the games going live July 21, the same day the eight titles above leave.
Predictions and Wishlist Games
Since Sony has not revealed July’s Essential lineup, the rest is speculation. These are community wishlist picks and predictions, not confirmed games, but they show what fans are hoping to see.
- Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. A frequently predicted first-party pick, with the remaster now a couple of years old.
- Resident Evil 4 Remake. A 2023 remake old enough to be a plausible crowd-pleaser.
- Star Wars Outlaws and Street Fighter 6. Popular titles that fans keep floating as strong Essential candidates.
- Blue Prince, Cocoon, and Trine 5. Indie favorites often paired with bigger AAA releases in a lineup.
- Elden Ring and Death Stranding. The wishful-thinking picks that would make July a standout month, though they remain long shots.
| Important Caution None of the games in this section are confirmed. They are predictions and fan wishlist picks only. Do not treat them as the official July lineup. The real lineup comes only from Sony’s official announcement. |
PS Plus Prices and Tiers
PlayStation Plus comes in three tiers, and all of them include the monthly Essential games. Here is what each tier costs in the United States as of July 2026.
| Tier | Monthly | Yearly |
| PS Plus Essential | $10.99 | $79.99 |
| PS Plus Extra | $16.99 | $134.99 |
| PS Plus Premium | $19.99 | $159.99 |
Essential covers online multiplayer and the three monthly free games. Extra adds the Game Catalog of hundreds of titles. Premium adds classic games and cloud streaming on top of everything else. All three tiers share the monthly Essential games, so every subscriber gets them.
| Good to Know Sony is also running a free online multiplayer weekend from July 3 to 5, 2026, to celebrate the Esports World Cup, so you can play online co-op and competitive games at no extra cost and with no PlayStation Plus required during that window. |
The PlayStation Plus July 2026 story is still being written. The Essential lineup is due any moment, one Premium classic is already confirmed, and the catalog heads for its usual mid-month refresh. The one thing not to do is trust an unofficial lineup list, since no credible leaks exist yet.
For now, the smart play is simple. Claim June’s games before July 6, finish any leaving catalog titles before July 21, and check back once Sony makes the Essential reveal official. We will update this page as soon as the new lineup lands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the PlayStation Plus July 2026 Essential games?
As of July 1, 2026, Sony has not officially revealed the July Essential lineup. Sony should announce it on or around July 1, and the games arrive July 7. No reliable leaks exist yet, so any list circulating before Sony’s announcement is a rumor.
When do the July 2026 PS Plus games come out?
The Essential monthly games should go live on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Sony reveals the full Extra and Premium catalog update on July 15, and it goes live on July 21, 2026.
What games are leaving PS Plus in July 2026?
Eight games leave the Extra and Premium catalog on July 21, including Risk of Rain 2, Tropico 6, Cursed to Golf, Source of Madness, Hundred Days: Winemaking Simulator, Get Even, Infinite Minigolf, and The Jackbox Party Pack 9. Sony pushed five more to August 18.
Can I still claim June’s PS Plus games?
Yes, until July 6, 2026. Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide remain claimable. Add them to your library before then and they stay yours while your subscription is active.
How much does PlayStation Plus cost?
In the United States, PS Plus Essential is $10.99 a month or $79.99 a year. PS Plus Extra is $16.99 a month or $134.99 a year. PS Plus Premium is $19.99 a month or $159.99 a year. All three tiers include the monthly games.
Is any July 2026 PS Plus game already confirmed?
Yes. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy joins PS Plus Premium in mid-July as part of the classics catalog. Sony had not revealed the Essential monthly games or the full Extra and Premium lineup as of July 1.
