Sony Interactive Entertainment has unveiled the PlayStation Plus Essential games for May 2025, offering subscribers a diverse trio of titles: Ark: Survival Ascended, Balatro, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. These games will be available for download from May 6 through June 2.
A comprehensive remaster of the original Ark: Survival Evolved, Ark: Survival Ascended leverages Unreal Engine 5 to deliver enhanced graphics, advanced physics, and improved quality-of-life features. Players can form tribes, tame and breed a multitude of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, and explore expansive environments. The game includes all previous DLCs Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Genesis Part 1, and Genesis Part 2. It supports online multiplayer for up to 70 players, private sessions for up to 8 players, and local split-screen for 2 players .
Balatro is a roguelike deck-building game that infuses traditional poker mechanics with strategic gameplay. Players build powerful synergies by combining valid poker hands with unique Joker cards to overcome challenging blinds and bosses. The game has been recognized as one of the standout indie titles of 2024, praised for its addictive gameplay and innovative design .
Embracing the aesthetics of 1990s first-person shooters, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun offers fast-paced, retro-inspired action set in the Warhammer 40K universe. Players assume the role of a battle-hardened Space Marine, combating Chaos Space Marines and daemons across expansive levels filled with pixelated carnage. The game combines classic FPS gameplay with the rich lore of Warhammer 40K .
Subscribers have until May 5 to claim April’s PlayStation Plus Essential games: RoboCop: Rogue City, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker’s Memory. Once claimed, these titles remain accessible as long as the subscription remains active.
PlayStation Plus Essential provides subscribers with monthly free games, online multiplayer access, cloud storage, and exclusive discounts on the PlayStation Store. Subscription plans are priced at $9.99 monthly, $24.99 quarterly, or $79.99 annually.
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