File this under “take with a grain of salt, but big if true.” Some rumors are pointing to Marvel’s Spider-Man being one of the June 2020 PS Plus free games. You might immediately reject this idea as “too big” of a game to be part of the PS Plus collection, but there are some compelling reasons to think this one might be true.
The rumor comes from some users getting a PS Store listing showing Marvel’s Spider-Man as free with a PS Plus logo next to it. This is actually a known PS Store glitch that has happened before—and the first reports of it happening on Spider-Man actually came in more than a month ago, even before the May 2020 PS Plus free games were announced. There are a few reasons to think this whole thing is baloney, but a few good ones to think it might be true.
Reasons Marvel’s Spider-Man Might Not be a Free PS Plus Game
- It’s a known glitch – This glitch has happened before, but it’s never prefaced a game being added to the PS Plus free games collection.
- It could be related to PS Now – Marvel’s Spider-Man is on PS Now, which could be the reason that it’s glitching for some people and showing up as “free.” Technically it’s free with a Now subscription, but not with a Plus subscription.
- It’s too big a game – A big PlayStation exclusive being free for users this close to release? Crazier things have happened, but you’d be forgiven for thinking this might be too good to be true.
Reasons Marvel’s Spider-Man Might Actually be a Free PS Plus Game
- PS5 Marketing – Sony has used Spider-Man on numerous occasions to talk about and showcase what the PS5 can do in terms of loading times. As the “benchmark game,” as it were, perhaps it will be part of Sony’s big PS5 showcase (or maybe even the sequel!). Having Marvel’s Spider-Man as a free PS Plus game in the month would be a great connection to directly showing off the differences in this gen and next.
- It’s already cheap – Yes, Spider-Man is a big PS exclusive, but it’s also a huge seller. Loads of PS4 owners already have it. Sales have discounted the game to sub-$20 price points for months now, and occasionally even less than $10. At a cost/benefit analysis, would releasing the game free to Plus subscribers provide a greater benefit than what it is currently priced at? Plus…
- There are DLC Expansions – What better way to increase the attach rate to DLC and expansions than to release the base experience free? The entire “City That Never Sleeps” campaign goes for $24.99 right now (or $9.99 each for the three add-ons). Perhaps giving the base game out free gets a few more people to buy the expansions.
- There are other weird PS Store glitches with Spider-Man – Currently, on the PC-based US PlayStation Store, you can’t actually find the base version of Marvel’s Spider-Man directly from the store. It’s only the Game of the Year edition, complete with the DLC. You can use Google to find a back way into the page, but there is no option to purchase it. You can find it directly on your PS4, but it simply says “Included with PS Now.” Why would Sony take away the ability for users to purchase the base version of the game? Curious…
- It’s on PS Now – Marvel’s Spider-Man is already on Sony’s other subscription service. The company has previously released PS Now games as part of the PS Plus free games, so it wouldn’t be a stretch.
Of course, this is all speculation. There’s no real solid evidence that Sony will offer Marvel’s Spider-Man as part of the June 2020 PS Plus free games lineup. We won’t have to wait long to find out, however. Sony reveals the new PS Plus games lineup on Wednesday before the first Tuesday of each month, which happens to fall on Wednesday, May 27 for June’s roster of games.
Sony already broke from the usual schedule of revealing and releasing PS Plus free games to announce Call of Duty WWII as free for PlayStation Plus subscribers for the month of June. That free game will be available starting tomorrow, May 26, but Sony said to stay-tuned for additional announcements regarding the June 2020 PS Plus free games. Could Marvel’s Spider-Man be one of the games they have in store, particularly after May 2020 disappointed a lot of people with two sim/builder style games? It’s just a rumor for now, but what do you think?
The PS Plus announcement isn’t the only PlayStation event happening Wednesday. Sony is also holding a State of Play focused entirely around The Last of Us Part II that afternoon.
[h/t: VG247]