PS Plus Essential Games for May 2025 Announced

The leak was incorrect

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• by Liam Croft Yesterday, 4:35pm

Sony has today revealed the three PS5 and PS4 titles that PS Plus Essential members can anticipate claiming for May 2025. Available for redeeming and downloading from Tuesday, 6th May, the titles are:

• ARK: Survival Ascended (PS5)
• Balatro (PS5, PS4) | Review
• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5, PS4) | Review

As long as you keep an active PS Plus Essential subscription, these three titles will always be accessible to you, even after they’re replaced with June 2025’s offerings. You’ll be able to play them starting next Tuesday, 6th May.

Sony is promoting ARK: Survival Ascended as the standout addition for the month, featuring a native PS5 version of the game that includes all Ark worlds, such as “Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ark Genesis Part 1, Ark Genesis Part 2, and more”.

Following its remarkable success last year, you’ve likely heard of May 2025’s second title for the service: Balatro. While you may not have experienced it yet, PS Plus Essential aims to change that.

We rated the game a 9/10, stating: “With the main game, seeded runs, and a Challenge mode to truly test your skills, there’s limitless enjoyment to be had from Balatro. With numerous variables to play with, polished presentation, and engagingly addictive gameplay, it stands out among deckbuilders and possibly even the finest roguelikes we’ve encountered.”

Boltgun, on the other hand, is a first-person shooter reminiscent of classic DOOM. We rated it a 6/10, concluding: “If you can overlook the monotony and obstacles, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a generally solid shooter. It excels in visuals, the weaponry feels satisfying, and the sound design is appropriately impactful — just don’t expect it to extend beyond those basics.”

Are you pleased with the PS Plus Essential lineup for May 2025? Share your thoughts in the comments below.