From time to time, Sony seems to use PS Plus to set up and or otherwise fuel rumors for upcoming releases. It's rare, but at least one example is how PS Plus added Battlefield 5 in May 2021,just for Battlefield 2042 to be revealed in June of the same year. Whether it's intentional is one thing, but there's no second-guessing it's an effective way to drum up hype and throw fuel on rumor fires. Now, it seems the PS Plus free games for July 2023 are doing sort of the same thing.
As usual, fans have three free games to claim on the PS Plus Essential Tier, and it's a rock-solid month this time around. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the headlining title, and while it may not be the best CoD game in recent years, a CoD/FPS title is always a great addition to the service. Alan Wake Remastered comes in on one flank, and Endling: Extinction is Forever comes from the other. It's worth noting each game is available natively on PS4 and PS5, and minus Endling, the other two PS Plus games come in at a special time.
Alan Wake Remastered is rather on the nose. Alan Wake 2 releases in October 2023, and this is PS Plus fans giving them something to play while waiting for it. For those who have never played an Alan Wake game, this is perhaps the best way to quickly catch up ahead of October, but it's always great to replay something ahead of a sequel's release. Alan Wake's PS Plus release timing is obvious, but at the same time, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's addition sounds like Battlefield 5/Battlefield 2042 all over again.
PS Plus is Setting Up the Reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Just as rumors swirled around Battlefield '6' at the time, rumors have been ongoing that 2023's Call of Duty game is Modern Warfare 3. Rumors suggested this year was going to see a spin-off or expansion before that was transformed into a full game, and even more recently, there have been a few other leaks aside from the name. For example, some maps have leaked, a release date of November 10 has leaked, and some features like zombies have been passed around in the rumor mill. What's clear, fans are excited for Modern Warfare 3, leaks suggest it's real, and the PS Plus addition of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is just fueling that fire.
On top of that, one Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 leak says the game will be revealed on August 1 (one month later than its addition to PS Plus, again like Battlefield). This is said to take place in an in-game event, which makes sense because this has become a trend for Call of Duty titles in recent years. Of course, it's of note that the first in-game reveal for the recent titles began with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, so adding it to PS Plus just adds more weight to this theory. Funnily enough, one could also look at a Call of Duty game joining PS Plus around the time of the FTC v. Microsoft case as a whole other can of worms when it comes to timing, but that's neither here nor there.
Ultimately, it does remain to be seen what comes from the Call of Duty franchise, but it's a big year for it regardless. Call of Duty 2023 is almost a certain thing, and regardless of its exact contents, seeing it on PS Plus a month before a possible reveal means fans should keep their ears to the ground. If it does happen here as predicted, then who knows what else PS Plus could tease in the future.
PS Plus subscribers get a handful of games every month.
