The PlayStation Plus Essential games for July 2023 include Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, Alan Wake Remastered, and Endling Extension is Forever. This timing is quite interesting against the backdrop of the FTC vs. Microsoft court case regarding the Activision-Xbox merger, to which Sony has been vocal opposition, including Call of Duty being added to subscription-based services (a la Xbox Game Pass).
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War was released in 2020 and is nearly three years old. The game’s story is set in the 1980s during the height of the Cold War and between the events of Black Ops (2010) and Black Ops II (2012).
It should be noted that while Xbox Game Pass is a subscription-based service that includes a selection of games, including many Day 1 titles, the Essential tier of PS Plus isn’t quite similar to that of the Premium and the Extra tier. The Essential tier is better than Xbox Live Gold, which gives away two to three games every month, which players can add to their library.
While the game’s inclusion in PS Plus is excellent news for players on PS4 and PS5, it is also quite interesting in the context of the ongoing court case of FTC vs. Mircosoft.
What games are coming to PlayStation Plus in July 2023?
The July 2023 PlayStation Plus Essential tier games include:
- Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War (PS4 / PS5)
- Alan Wake Remastered (PS4 / PS5)
- Endling Extension is Forever (PS4 / PS5)
The Essential tier is the base tier for PS Plus, and it includes three monthly games for players to add to their library. The Premium tier of the service offers a selected library of PS4 and PS5 games to play on the subscription service, while the
Will Call of Duty be on PlayStation Plus after the Xbox Activision acquisition?
While it is uncertain if future Call of Duty titles will come to PS Plus, players claiming and adding Black Ops Cold War to their library in July will undoubtedly have access to it as long as they are subscribed to the service.
If the merger goes through, Xbox has repeatedly promised to keep the franchise available on the PlayStation system, including offering a ten years deal and, most recently, Phil Spencer promising it under oath during the FTC vs. Microsoft hearing.
Xbox has recently put Fallout 76 on PlayStation Plus, so it won’t be unrealistic to imagine more CoD on the service years after release. However, one thing is for sure, if the merger goes through, Xbox will put CoD titles on Game Pass.
Leave a Reply