PS Plus Drops God of War Ragnarok Bombshell, Xbox Game Pass Must Respond Now!

Initially launched in 2017, the introduction of Xbox Game Pass marked an unprecedented offering in the gaming industry, particularly with Microsoft’s ambitious promises. For a considerable period, Xbox Game Pass enjoyed unparalleled dominance without facing substantial competition. It was widely acclaimed as the “ultimate gaming bargain” by gamers seeking diverse video game experiences and who wanted first-party releases on their launch days without additional charges.

Initially, Xbox Game Pass didn’t have any significant competition for a while. However, in June 2022, PlayStation Plus introduced a three-part system similar to Xbox Game Pass. This includes PS Plus Extra, offering a collection of both first-party and third-party games, and PS Plus Premium, finally providing the backwards compatibility that fans had been eagerly waiting for. For nearly three years now, Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus have been subtly competing, each trying to outdo the other month after month. This rivalry continues today, as within a short period, PlayStation Plus has seen its Essential line-up falter, improved significantly with Extra and Premium offerings, only for Xbox Game Pass to respond.

PS Plus’ January Reversal Should Encourage Xbox Game Pass to Bring Out The Big Guns

PlayStation Plus Had a Rough Start to The Year

While PS Plus Essential is the most economical version of PlayStation Plus, it still sets consumers back $80 for a year-long subscription. Given this price, gamers reasonably anticipate value for their money. In addition to enabling online gameplay, PS Plus Essential provides players with three free games monthly. The selection has been quite impressive lately, with November 2024 offering subscribers “Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged,” “Ghostwire: Tokyo,” and “Death Note: Killer Within,” and December providing them with “It Takes Two,” “Temtem,” and “Aliens: Dark Descent.

Regrettably, it seems that PS Plus Essential has fallen from its winning streak quite dramatically. The highly anticipated game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, leads its January 2025 line-up. However, this title by developer Rocksteady has been notoriously unsuccessful, and its inclusion in PS Plus Essential feels like an attempt to revive it at a time when it’s already had its last update.

Although both “Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered” and “The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” are enjoyable titles, they fail to fully compensate for the letdown of “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” being the highlight game for PS Plus Essential in January.

PlayStation Plus’ Extra and Premium Line-Up Has Turned Things Around

However, PlayStation Plus has significantly improved the situation for its higher-tier subscribers (Extra and Premium). In January 2025, the highly anticipated game God of War Ragnarok will lead the lineup for PS Plus Extra. This is quite significant because it’s not common to see first-party PlayStation games on PS Plus, and God of War Ragnarok‘s popularity adds even more value to the subscription service. Additionally, God of War Ragnarok will be joined by other notable titles like Sayonara Wild Hearts and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Notably, classic games such as Medievil 2 are also included in the Premium tier.

The Ball Is Now In Xbox Game Pass’ Court

2025 has seen a relatively gradual beginning for Xbox Game Pass, with only three fresh additions thus far. However, there are some exciting games on the horizon. For instance, “Sniper Elite: Resistance,” “Eternal Strands,” and “Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector” are all debut titles scheduled to join Game Pass this month. Nevertheless, these might find it challenging to surpass the anticipated excitement for God of War Ragnarok.

For February, Xbox Game Pass will have to roll out some major titles to make an impact, as Obsidian’s much-anticipated game Avowed isn’t enough on its own in a month that promises intense competition across the gaming world.

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2025-01-19 16:04