Sony has officially revealed the PS Plus Essential lineup for July 2026, and it’s a mixed bag — a returning Call of Duty entry alongside two well-loved RPGs. Three games are landing on July 7, and they’ll stick around until August 3 before the next rotation kicks in. All three titles are available to all PS Plus subscribers regardless of tier.
The reveal landed a few days later than Sony’s usual last-Wednesday-of-the-month cadence, arriving on July 1 instead. Here’s what’s coming and what you need to know about each game before July 7 hits.
PS Plus July 2026 Free Games List
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III — Cross-Gen Bundle (PS5 / PS4)
- For The King II (PS5 / PS4)
- CrossCode (PS5 / PS4)
All three drop on July 7 and are claimable through August 3, 2026. Unlike June’s co-op-heavy lineup, this month leans more toward solo and small-group play — Modern Warfare III aside, both RPGs are built around single-player or tight co-op parties rather than big multiplayer sessions.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III — The Headliner
The Cross-Gen Bundle of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is the obvious headline pull this month, and it needs little introduction. Originally released in 2023, this entry is widely regarded as one of the weaker campaigns in the series’ recent run — reviews at the time criticized its short, rushed story and reused Warzone map assets in the Open Combat Missions. That said, the trio of campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies is all included, and the multiplayer suite functions as a solid, if familiar, map pack for anyone who wants a return to classic Modern Warfare gunplay.
Reaction to seeing a second recent Call of Duty title land on PS Plus so soon has been mixed — some subscribers are glad to get a taste without buying in, others feel the series is starting to feel like a recurring filler pick rather than a genuine headliner. Either way, if you’ve been curious about MW3 but didn’t want to pay full price, this is the easiest way to find out where you land.
For The King II — Tactical RPG With Roguelite Bones
From the team behind the original cult favorite For The King, this sequel blends tabletop-inspired tactical RPG combat with roguelite structure, rebuilt on an updated engine. The story follows the kingdom of Fahrul, where Queen Rosomon has turned against her own people, forcing them into servitude while she courts dark and unnatural allies. You gather a party — solo or with up to three friends in co-op — and set out to topple her regime.
Combat mixes turn-based tactics with a board-game-style overworld, and the roguelite framing means each run has real stakes: permadeath and randomized encounters keep things tense even on repeat playthroughs. It’s a niche pick compared to Call of Duty, but for fans of tactical RPGs and co-op dungeon crawling, it’s a genuinely well-regarded addition.
CrossCode — An Underrated Action RPG Classic
Originally released back in 2020, CrossCode is the sleeper pick of July’s lineup. It’s a 2D action RPG dressed up as a retro-styled MMO-within-a-game, blending Zelda-style dungeon puzzles with fast, physics-based combat that rewards precision over button mashing. Reviewers at the time praised its stellar combat feel, clever puzzle design, and a genuinely lengthy story that holds up years later.
If you’re the type of player who bounces off flashy AAA freebies but loves a tightly designed indie with real depth, CrossCode is worth prioritizing this month. It’s the kind of game that tends to fly under the radar until a PS Plus drop puts it back in front of people.
Don’t Forget — June’s Games Are Almost Gone
Before you get locked into July, make sure you’ve claimed June’s Essential lineup if you haven’t already. Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide are only claimable until July 6, right before the July rotation replaces them. Miss that window and they’re gone from your claim queue for good — though if you already added them to your library, they stay playable as long as your subscription is active.
PS Plus Extra and Premium — What Changed in June, What’s Leaving in July
June turned out to be a strong month for the Extra and Premium Game Catalog. Sony shifted to staggering new catalog additions in weekly waves rather than one big monthly drop, and the headline addition was Final Fantasy XVI, which joined the catalog on June 16. It was joined across the month by Black Desert, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Farming Simulator 25, and Blades of Fire.
On the way out, Sony has confirmed eight games will leave the Extra and Premium catalog on July 21, 2026: Risk of Rain 2, Tropico 6, Cursed to Golf, Source of Madness, Hundred Days: Winemaking Simulator, Get Even, Infinite Minigolf, and The Jackbox Party Pack 9. An initial list of 13 removals was trimmed down after Sony pushed five titles — including Bomber Crew and Clash: Artifacts of Chaos — back to an August 18 departure instead.
Risk of Rain 2 and Tropico 6 are the standout picks to prioritize before the July 21 cutoff — Risk of Rain 2 in particular holds an 85 on Metacritic and remains one of the better co-op roguelikes on the service. Once a Game Catalog title leaves, access is cut off entirely for every subscriber, even if it’s already downloaded locally, though save data is preserved if you buy it later.
The full Extra and Premium lineup for July is expected to be revealed around July 15, with the new titles going live on July 21 — the same day the eight outgoing games are removed. One confirmed addition already locked in: Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy joins the Premium Classics Catalog in mid-July.
PS Plus July 2026 — Full Summary
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III — Cross-Gen Bundle (PS5/PS4) — Available July 7 through August 3
- For The King II (PS5/PS4) — Available July 7 through August 3
- CrossCode (PS5/PS4) — Available July 7 through August 3
- Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide — Must be claimed before July 6
- Eight Extra/Premium Game Catalog titles leave July 21, led by Risk of Rain 2 and Tropico 6
- PS Plus Extra/Premium July additions — Full reveal expected July 15, live July 21
Mark July 7 on your calendar, grab Grounded and Darktide before they disappear from claiming, and get your Risk of Rain 2 runs in before July 21.
