Saturday, 15 May 2021 14:01

One PS Plus Free Game for May 2021 Feels Like a Preshow for June

Written by Joshua Duckworth
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While the PS Plus' free games for May 2021 are great in their own right, one of them seems like a signal of more to come next month.

PS Plus continues to offer incredible value month after month. In fact, PS Plus' value offerings for 2021 already exceed that of the entirety of 2020 thanks to the consistent availability of multiple games. The best part of these offering, sometimes, are the theories that go with them. For example, it was no coincidence that Final Fantasy 7 Remake appeared on PS Plus at the effectively same same time Intergrade was revealed, and inklings of it preceded the actual reveal online.

The same can be said of the PS Plus games for May 2021. The offering this month includes Wreckfest, Stranded Deep, and Battlefield 5, and while each of these games are great in their own right, Battlefield 5 has two major implications based on what's known so far.

RELATED: Wreckfest Reveals Tournament Update as It Launches on PS Plus

First, it's worth discussing exactly how Battlefield 5 serves as a pre-show, and the answer is pretty simple: the next game is right around the corner. Battlefield 6 audio leaks, detail leaks, and more are all out there in the open, and it's no secret that it's targeting a holiday release.

Connecting the dots here isn't rocket science. Just as Final Fantasy 7 Remake released on PS Plus to support, build hype, and potentially increase sales for Intergrade, so too is Battlefield 5 doing the same thing ahead of Battlefield 6's proper reveal. PS Plus games are being downloaded more than ever, and it stands to reason that many are hopeful that Battlefield 6 will deliver as a sequel, especially since there's been three years between franchise entries (a stark contrast to its direct competition).

The two implications here come in the form of what it means for Battlefield 6, as well as the June selection of games. Many thought the reveal of the next Battlefield would happen in May, but that's no longer the case. The delay, if it indeed is one, has been theorized to be related to COVID-19 or to the Long March 5B rocket crash. According to insiders, the trailer reportedly has an exploding rocket, and if that is the case, game companies delaying trailers due to real-world concerns is nothing new. That hasn't stop PS Plus from doing its job though, as between Battlefield 5's inclusion there and EA building hype itself, the confirmed reveal of Battlefield 6 in June is already a big deal. Battlefield 6 is the main event, following a preshow of what has been done before.

 

Finally, though, it seems fans may be able to expect a similar tactic in June. PS Plus has a tendency to go through identifiable patterns: end of 2019/start of 2020 saw a release of one big game, one niche game every month. The games increased in quantity and covered a wider selection of games near the end of 2020 through now, with an emphasis placed on supporting the PS5. Now, it seems that PS Plus is being used more and more to leverage exclusive or even third-party reveals and announcements, with Battlefield and Final Fantasy being the prime examples.

As such, the games revealed for June 2021 may come as precursors to other things as well. June, in particular, will be an interesting month to leverage PS Plus. E3 2021 is slated for June, and while Sony is not attending, it will likely host something to showcase its PS5 and new games as well. Anything added to PS Plus in June may serve as a precursor to that, or at the very least, for anything following Sony's E3 alternative State of Play in July. It all remains to be seen, of course, but if there will be a time to start theorycrafting about PS Plus, it'll be when the June 2021 games are revealed.

PS Plus subscribers get a handful of free games every month.

MORE: Some PS Plus Subscribers Are Getting an Extra Free Game in May 2021

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