This July marks 15 years of PlayStation Plus, and Sony isn’t just dialing up nostalgia — it’s serving a trio that spans massive action RPGs, contemplative indies, and classic fighting thrills. As someone who signed up in the early days for quirky indies (and stuck around through the occasional flop), I was genuinely surprised by how this month’s Essential lineup strikes a balance. But does this anniversary drop truly celebrate the service’s legacy, or is it just a solid month with a party hat?
July 1st ushers in Diablo IV, Jusant, and The King of Fighters XV on PS5 and PS4. On paper, these picks are Sony’s way of flexing — AAA heavyweight, hidden indie jewel, and fan-favorite fighter. But beyond the marketing muscle, there’s nuance here. Each game caters to a different mood: the endless grind of loot, meditative climbing, and fast-paced versus combat. Below, I unpack why this trio mostly lives up to the hype — and where it stumbles.
Diablo IV is the flashy headliner — the biggest name PS Plus has offered in ages. For many lapsed subscribers, free access to Blizzard’s latest loot-frenzy is the carrot they needed. The game’s dark, gothic world feels more expansive than ever, and the endgame is packed with seasonal events, nightmare dungeons, and PvP arenas. Yet that same depth can overwhelm: the battle pass system, cosmetic store, and optional cash shop leave a constant buzz of monetization tension.
Deep Dive: If you’ve dropped out at launch due to grind fatigue, you’ll find QoL updates this summer have smoothed progression curves and rebalanced classes. The new “Haedrig’s Gift” quests lower the barrier to legendary gear. But the core loop — slashing, looting, and specializing your build — remains intact, which is both its greatest strength and greatest trap. Sony’s gamble: a blockbuster that keeps you logged in, but one that may spark fresh frustration if you’re allergic to repetitive farming.
Don’t Nod’s surprise indie, Jusant, is the sleeper hit here. Stripped of combat, it’s an open‐air climbing odyssey across floating islands. The mechanic is elegantly simple: scan each cliff face, choose your handholds, and navigate swirling winds to uncover cryptic towers. What elevates it is the atmosphere — a haunting score that swells as you ascend and subtle environmental storytelling woven into ancient murals.
Analysis: In a lineup dominated by blockbuster crunch and competitive heat, Jusant feels like a breath of fresh air. There’s no HUD clutter or DPS scoreboard — just you, your stamina bar, and a skybound horizon. It invites you to pause and explore at your own pace. Technically, some physics quirks can lead to awkward mid-climb resets, but those moments are rare compared to the overall serenity. This pick underlines why PS Plus built its reputation on unexpected gems.
Rounding out the trio is SNK’s beloved fighter, King of Fighters XV. If you’ve been lurking in button-mashing Discord channels, you know this entry nails modern essentials: rollback netcode, crisp animations, and a roster bursting with 39 fighters. Casual players can jump into “Easy Type” combos, while veterans will revel in the layered mechanics — custom combos, clash system, and meta-shifting updates.
Community Angle: The PS Plus inclusion might boost online lobbies, a welcome change from earlier seasons when dead servers plagued smaller fighters. With free cross-play and periodic balance patches, KOF XV is positioned to be the surprise fighting game mainstay for another year. It’s not rivaling Street Fighter 6 in global buzz, but it doesn’t need to — it’s unapologetically KOF, and that’s part of its timeless charm.
Fifteen years is a milestone that begs for shock value: a first-party exclusive, a retro PlayStation classic, or a throwback PS2 gem. Instead, Sony delivered a strong but predictable package. Fans will debate the absence of a marquee PlayStation IP — no Marvel’s Spider-Man analog, no remastered God of War, nothing from Naughty Dog’s treasure vault. For an anniversary moment, it feels a little safe.
Understandably, licensing and timing complicate first-party drops. Still, even a limited-time add-on like a PSOne emulator with bundled classics could’ve elevated the celebration. As it stands, this is a “Party Hat” month rather than a full-blown fireworks show.
PlayStation Plus has evolved from a monthly indie showcase to a cornerstone of Sony’s ecosystem, with Essential, Extra, and Premium tiers fragmenting benefits. This Essential lineup reminds us why the service matters: it can deliver big-budget loopers, hidden indie wonders, and competitive community staples in one fell swoop. But looking ahead, subscribers will want bolder experiments — exclusive demos, limited-series episodic content, or deeper cross-service integration with PlayStation Now archives.
This July PS Plus drop isn’t the wildest birthday bash, but it’s a strong celebration of what the service can offer. Diablo IV stakes its claim as the headline AAA draw, complete with seasonal hooks that will keep players farming for months. Jusant is the underappreciated indie that proves PS Plus still unearths serene surprises. And KOF XV ensures fighting fans have a polished title to master. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s curated — reminding us why we signed up in the first place. Here’s hoping the next milestone swap brings more PlayStation firepower into our libraries.
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