The PS Plus Monthly Games Are Entering 2026 with a Hot Streak, But Can It Go 3 for 3?

Not only were the monthly free games headlined by the beloved indie Stray, but the Extra and Premium offerings also included beloved titles like Red Dead Redemption and Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Then, the PS Plus free games for December brought Killing Floor 3 and The Outlast Trials—two very active co-op horror games—as well as the charming LEGO Horizon Adventures to round out the Essential tier. With Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty coming to Extra, the service has been firing on all cylinders as of late.

Naturally, gamers will be looking forward to the PS Plus line-up for January 2026 and wondering if the momentum can continue. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be a mystery. While players won’t know the Essential games for a few more days, and the Extra games for a few weeks, it’s possible to predict whether the month will be good or bad based on what’s happened in the past. And given what’s happened over the last few years, it’s safe to assume that PS Plus will indeed kick off the year with a bang.

How Has January Gone For PlayStation Plus Traditionally?

When looking at the free games, PlayStation Plus’ January 2025 lineup featured Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. While two remasters and a divisive co-op looter shooter may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s worth noting that Kill The Justice League had received all its post-launch content right before this addition, including a playable Deathstroke. Additionally, this somewhat-lacking January for Essential games is a far cry from the norm. For instance, the PS Plus games for January 2024 offered A Plague Tale: Requiem, Evil West, and Nobody Saves the World, while 2023 brought Fallout 76, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Axiom Verge 2.

In general, January tends to be a good month for PlayStation Plus subscribers, with Sony likely trying to make the service as attractive as possible to those who re-subscribed with their holiday money. It’s also worth noting that the quality offerings aren’t limited to the Essential tier. For instance, even though Kill the Justice League made for a divisive headliner this past January, the Extra games had some huge additions like God of War Ragnarok and Like a Dragon: Gaiden. 2024’s big Extra additions were Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and Resident Evil 2 Remake, while January 2023 added Devil May Cry 5 and Back 4 Blood to this tier. With all this in mind, it’s safe to assume January 2026 could be another banger for PlayStation Plus.

Potential PlayStation Plus Additions for January 2026

When thinking about how PlayStation Plus could kick off 2026 in a memorable way, there are a few routes that Sony could take. First, it could mine the list of Game Awards winners and nominees for potential additions, spotlighting successful games that may have been overlooked due to the dominance of Expedition 33. There are plenty of interesting options for an Essential headliner, such as The Alters, while some of the best indie nominations could also join the lineup. Alternatively, perhaps Sony will want to build hype for its big 2026 games, like Housemarque’s Saros and Insomniac’s Marvel’s Wolverine. Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 is a few years old now, so it’d be justifiable to add it to the service, and though Housemarque’s Returnal is an Extra game, it’d make a fine Essential title as well. PS Plus has double-dipped on games before, after all.

Regardless of how PlayStation plans to approach January 2026, though, history shows that fans can expect good things from the month. While nobody should count their chickens before they hatch, as there’s always a chance that Sony disappoints with its selection of PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium offerings, it’s a safe bet that PS Plus will indeed go 3-for-3 and keep its impressive run going.