When it comes to the free PlayStation Plus games for any given month, fans have a pretty good idea of what to expect thanks to certain patterns that Sony has established when it comes to the games. For instance, fans know that they can usually expect the next batch of free PS Plus games to be announced on the last Wednesday of every month, and they know that the lineup will almost certainly consist of two free PS4 games and one PS5 game. There's another pattern Sony has established with the free PS Plus games that may very well reveal one of the free PS Plus games for September 2021 ahead of schedule.

Sony started releasing free PS Plus games for the PlayStation 5 console as soon as it launched last November, with the first free PS Plus PS5 game being Bugsnax. Sony has released a number of free PS Plus games for PS5 since then, and almost all of them have had something in common: they have almost all been brand new releases, making their debuts on PS Plus and PS5 at the same time. There have been some exceptions to this rule, but not many, and the majority of the free PS5 PS Plus games have indeed been new releases.

RELATED: PS Plus Trick Can Get PS4 Users An Extra Free Game

Now, unlike the Xbox free Games with Gold, Sony doesn't release the new PS Plus games as soon as the new month rolls around. On the contrary, the new PS Plus games aren't added until the first Tuesday of the month when the PlayStation Store updates. For September, the first Tuesday of the month is Tuesday, September 7. And when looking at new game releases coming out that day, one title stands out as a highly likely contender of being a free PS Plus game for September 2021.

FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch is A Likely Free PS Plus Game for September 2021

Based on the patterns Sony has established so far when it comes to the free PS Plus games for PS5, it seems highly likely that FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch is going to be one of the free games for September 2021. FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch's release date is September 7, meaning it will be released on the same day that the new PS Plus games are being added to the service. And as previously mentioned, Sony has established a clear pattern of making the free PS5 PS Plus games be brand new titles.

Not only that, but FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch is already closely related to the PlayStation brand. In fact, the game was showcased at the latest PlayStation State of Play event, where Sony revealed a trailer for FIST that also confirmed its release date and PlayStation console exclusivity. With FIST being featured at a State of Play event and being a PlayStation console exclusive, it makes it even more likely that it will debut as a free PS Plus game, at least when it comes to the PS5 version.

For those wondering what exactly FIST is, it's a side-scrolling Metroidvania game with a style described as "dieselpunk." The starring character is a cyborg rabbit armed with a giant mechanical fist, and while the premise may sound bizarre, the gameplay did look impressive and was generally well-received by fans. Even so, it's the kind of off the wall game that some may be hesitant to try, and so it potentially coming to the PS Plus lineup could help it achieve a level of popularity that it wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

Now, it must be stressed that FIST has not been confirmed as a free PS Plus game at the time of this writing. Sony likely won't reveal the new free PS Plus games for September 2021 until Wednesday, August 25, but the game does seem like a very strong contender for the PS5 game slot. It seems to check all the boxes when it comes to free PS5 games on PS Plus, to the point where it would be suprising if it isn't part of the lineup.

All the Free PS5 PS Plus Games So Far

For those curious, here are all the free PS5 PS Plus games that have been featured so far.

• Bugsnax (November)
• Worms Rumble (December)
• Maneater (January)
• Destruction AllStars (February)
• Maquette (March)
• Oddworld: Soulstorm (April)
• Wreckfest (May)
• Operation Tango (June)
• A Plague Tale: Innocence (July)
• Hunter's Arena: Legends (August)

As can be seen by the list, literally every free PS Plus PS5 game has been a brand new release with some minor exceptions. Shark-RPG Maneater, the free PS Plus game for January 2021, was already a couple of months old at the time it was added to the service, but Sony did offer refunds to those who already purchased the game. Wreckfest and A Plague Tale: Innocence, meanwhile, weren't technically brand new games, but they were still new to the PS5.

Considering this evidence, it seems highly likely that PS Plus subscribers can expect FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch to be the free PS5 PS Plus game for September 2021. The two free PS4 games are anyone's guess at this point, however.

MORE: PS Plus Should 'Steal' One Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store Approach