PlayStation Plus' offerings for July touch on some solid ground, with the latest Essential bunch giving playersDiablo 4,The King of Fighters 15, andJusant. ThePS PlusExtra and Premium tiers, though, added an incredibly interesting and largely overlooked title.Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, from developer Don’t Nod, was released in 2024 and has flown largely under the radar since. While it wasn’t a commercial smash,Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenwas well-received, sitting at solid 80 player and critic scores and Very Positive on Steam.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenmay not beone of the most recognizable recent RRGs from an AA studio, but it does share more than a few elements with one that has stood out this year. Sandfall Interactive’sClair Obscur: Expedition 33was nearly instantly a massive hit,with major studios like Square Enix praising its design and possibly considering taking inspiration from its innovations. Clair Obscurwas also a day 1 Game Pass release, which helped boost its visibility and accessibility. And given how the relationship between Sony/PS Plus and Xbox/Game Pass has been evolving,Banishershitting the service could be an early indication of how the future strategies of the former will play out.
Jusanthappens to be another of Don’t Nod’s games, released a year beforeBanishers.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden on PS Plus Extra and Premium for July Could Be Setting the Stage For Bigger Things
PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass Are Cozying Up More Than Ever Before
While traditionally the services and companies have been in direct competition, and thus were naturally stingier with their high-profile exclusives, there has been a noticeable shift in this practice more recently. A few of Xbox’s upcoming titles, likeGears of War: ReloadedandThe Outer Worlds 2, will have PlayStation launch versions. Sony has also reciprocated in its own way.
Though it was initially on PC as well as PS, one of the biggest recent announcements is thatHelldivers 2will be making its way to Xbox this August. Prior to this, Sony had usually guarded its golden geese closely, but the tide seems to be turning in this regard. And in light ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33’s own popularity,Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenbeing chosen for PS Plus Extra and Premium might be part of this ongoing sea change.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden on PS Plus for July Could Be its Commitment to Including More Games Like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Being aday 1 Game Pass releaseletClair Obscur: Expedition 33reach more players, some of whom may not have otherwise been aware of it or were planning on checking it out.Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenmay have had a comparatively underwhelming launch, but it has much in common withClairas an ambitious project by an AA-level developer, and in particular, its semi-magical historical setting, emotional story, and production values. These kinds of titles generally weren’t the standard PS Plus fare, at least previously. The fact that it’s now on PS Plus only a few months afterClairdebuted suggests that Sony is paying more attention to games like these, and is perhaps working towards bringing more similar titles to PS+ in the future.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Edencould thus serve adual role for PlayStation Plus. Firstly, Sony may be testing the waters to see the response to it being on the service. In tandem, it could also giveBanishersa second wind, providing fans who may have missed or overlooked playing it originally a good opportunity to do so now. And depending on player reactions, it could even potentially pave the path forClair Obscur: Expedition 33to come to the service sometime down the line. Either way, it’s an encouraging sign, and hopefully means that PS Plus will take notes from Game Pass and focus more on titles likeBanishersto grow and round out its library in this specific space.
