PlayStation Plus subscribers have until July 7 to download and claim one of the Essential tier’s best games in a hot while. The Essential tier of PS Plus games is sometimes called the free games tier, simply because it does not have access to the catalogs of PS Plus Extra and Premium, and because the tier is “essential” for playing online multiplayer games on PS Plus.
As of this writing, the next list of PS Plus free games (for July through August) has not yet been revealed, but PlayStation is expected to do so on July 1. PS Plus follows a monthly pattern, though, so fans know that the new free games should be added on Tuesday, July 7, when the other games rotate out. And to prevent one of those classic “don’t forget to claim it before it rotates out” moments for Essential users, it’s worth highlighting that time is dwindling before the current PS Plus free games for June can be claimed.
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PS Plus Subscribers Can’t Miss Out on Grounded
On July 7, the new, as-of-yet unannounced PS Plus free games will rotate in, but until then, PS Plus users can still download Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, and Warhammer 40K: Darktide. Darktide is a co-op first-person shooter that is essentially Left 4 Dead in the Warhammer 40K universe, while Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a platform fighter similar to Super Smash Bros. but with a Nickelodeon focus. And while both games are sold in their own right, there’s a reason that the survival game Grounded is the headlining game. It is available for both PS4 and PS5 subscribers.
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Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Grounded takes a simple idea—shrinking players down to the size of an ant—and turns it into a full survival-crafting game set in a massive backyard world. Players gather resources, craft gear, build bases, and fight oversized insects while slowly uncovering the mystery behind their miniature situation. It’s “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” the video game. Despite its “small size,” it quickly established itself as one of the greats of the survival genre. Since its original launch, Grounded has built a strong reputation through consistent updates. The game added new regions, enemies, gear, and systems over time, steadily expanding into a much larger survival experience than what it started as. By the time it reached PlayStation and PS Plus, it was already a fully mature version of Obsidian’s vision, which is part of why its inclusion in the service stands out compared to more typical monthly rotations.
Plus, there’s an added benefit. Grounded 2 is heading to PS5 in Early Access on August 11, so now is a smart time for any PlayStation user to jump into the original, especially while it’s still part of PS Plus Essential. The first game lays the full foundation for Obsidian’s survival formula (shrinking down, surviving hostiles, and building up gear and bases in co-op), giving players the core systems that the sequel is clearly expanding on. Getting it now means players can experience the full origin point before Grounded 2 arrives, and before it then continues to evolve those ideas further on PS5.
The important detail for PS Plus subscribers is that Grounded doesn’t need to be downloaded or played before July 7—only claimed. As long as it’s added to a library before the deadline, it remains accessible for the duration of an active PS Plus Essential subscription. After that date, however, it will no longer be available to claim, and new users will have to purchase it separately if they miss the window.
With the PS Plus Essential lineup set to rotate out on July 7, Grounded sits in that awkward but familiar position of being one of the best games on the list and one of the easiest to forget to redeem.
