PlayStation Plus subscribers are getting three new, free games to claim and download in May 2025, including Ark: Survival Ascended, Balatro, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. While Ark: Survival Ascended is the technical headliner here, it’s likely Balatro will get the bigger heaping of attention.
Balatro, for those unfamiliar, was one of the biggest indie hits of 2024. It swept award ceremonies last year, and for very good reason. In its mix of poker and rogue-like card “battles,” it’s a very moreish game. There’s always a drive to keep pushing for higher synergies in rounds, aiming for a better score by playing wilder Joker cards. While simple on the surface, Balatro is actually very complex.
If you’re short on time, it might be best to avoid Balatro, but for those looking for a brain-tickling experience, you’ll certainly find one here.
As for Ark: Survival Ascended, it’s an entirely different experience – a dinosaur-infused adventure survival sim where you must “form a tribe, tame and breed hundreds of species of dinosaurs and other primeval creatures, explore, craft, build, and fight your way to the top of the food-chain.” This version of Ark is actually a remaster of the original title, with refreshes to gameplay and multiplayer systems.
Read: Balatro is pushing the roguelike deckbuilder to new territory
Finally, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is also a solid inclusion. It’s one of the better Warhammer adaptations, taking the franchise and twisting its action into a Doom-like adventure. In this pixel boomer shooter, you’re a “fearless” Space Marine blasting your way through various pits, dispatching demons and cultists alike.
All of the above games will be available for PlayStation Plus subscribers to download from 6 May 2025. Until 5 May, subscribers will also be able to claim April’s free monthly games: RoboCop: Rogue City, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory.
You can learn more about the monthly PlayStation Plus offerings on the PlayStation Blog.
