Sony has locked in the PlayStation Plus Essential Monthly Games lineup for April 2026, and it’s a surprisingly punchy trio—especially if you’ve been craving a modern Soulslike or you’ve been waiting for a good excuse to revisit Lara Croft’s earliest (and most uncompromising) adventures. Starting April 7, subscribers can claim Lords of the Fallen (PS5), Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (PS5/PS4), and Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream (PS5)—and keep them in their library as long as their PS Plus subscription stays active.
This month matters because it’s not just “three games, take it or leave it.” It’s three games that each represent a very specific kind of PlayStation comfort food: punishing action RPG combat, classic exploration-puzzle platforming history, and co-op anime spectacle built for online sessions.
What’s Included in PS Plus Essential (April 2026)
All three titles will be available to claim starting Tuesday, April 7, and they’ll remain claimable until Monday, May 4 (with some regional timing differences possible, per Sony’s usual disclaimer). These are Monthly Games, meaning they’re available to all PS Plus tiers—Essential, Extra, and Premium—not just the higher catalogs.
Here’s the confirmed lineup and platforms:
- Lords of the Fallen (2023) — PS5
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered — PS5, PS4
- Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream — PS5
And yes, if you’re on Extra or Premium, you can still claim these Monthly Games the same way Essential members do.
Sony also reiterated the usual “last chance” reminder: you have until April 6 to add March’s Monthly Games to your library—PGA Tour 2K25, Monster Hunter Rise, Slime Rancher 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road.
Lords of the Fallen on PS Plus: A Soulslike Redemption Arc Worth Revisiting
The headliner here is Lords of the Fallen (2023), the newer game that shares a name with the 2014 release but is very much its own beast. It’s positioned as a reboot-like reimagining: bigger, bolder, and designed to stand in the same conversation as the modern Soulslike heavyweights.
Sony’s own description leans hard into scale and structure: an “interconnected world five times larger than the original game,” where you play as one of the Dark Crusaders and fight to disrupt the reign of Adyr, a resurrected demon god. The hook that separates it from the pack is its dual-realm design—traveling between the world of the living and the dead—letting exploration and combat play out across two overlapping versions of reality.
A key point for anyone who bounced off early: the game has been improved through numerous patches since launch. That matters. Soulslikes live and die on feel—responsiveness, readability, performance stability—and this is one of those games whose reputation has been shaped as much by post-launch work as by its day-one state. If you skipped it because you heard it was rough, PS Plus is the perfect no-risk moment to see what it’s like now.
There’s also a bigger franchise context hovering over this drop: publisher CI Games announced back in 2024 that a Lords of the Fallen sequel is in development. If you’ve been curious about where that series is headed next, April’s Essential lineup is basically Sony handing you the on-ramp.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered: The Original Lara, Now With Expansions, Challenge Mode, and a Fresh Patch
If Lords of the Fallen is the “modern pain,” Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is the “classic pain”—the kind that comes from tank controls, grid-based platforming precision, and puzzle-box level design that doesn’t care if you’re stuck for an hour. And that’s exactly why it still rules.
This collection packages the first three Tomb Raider games into one definitive bundle and, crucially, includes all expansions and secret levels—something Sony specifically calls out as a “first time ever” complete experience on modern platforms for this set. It also features upgraded visuals with the option to switch back to the original polygon look at any time, which is the best possible approach for a remaster like this: preservation plus modernization, without forcing one aesthetic on everyone.
The other big feature is the newer Challenge Mode, which adds customized modifiers, achievements, and 10 new outfits to unlock—outfits that are described as enhancing Lara’s abilities.
The “Slop Raider” Controversy—and Why It’s Relevant Now
This PS Plus timing is especially interesting because Aspyr has just been dealing with a very public quality blowback around those Challenge Mode outfits. After the Challenge Mode update introduced the unlockable costumes, the outfit textures were widely criticized, and some fans accused the team of using generative AI—leading to the “Slop Raider” nickname spreading online.
Aspyr denied using generative AI and promised fixes. A patch has now been released that targets the outfit textures directly, resolving low resolution textures and clipping issues on the 10 new outfits. The patch also includes a long list of additional fixes across graphics, gameplay, and audio—everything from braid physics clipping in Photo Mode to ammo display issues, modifier values, laser beam damage behavior in specific levels, music overlap, and subtitle sync.
In other words: if you’re about to jump into Tomb Raider I-III Remastered via PS Plus, you’re doing it at a moment when the collection is actively being tuned and repaired in response to community feedback. That’s not just trivia—it’s the difference between “a neat nostalgia trip” and “a remaster that’s still earning trust.”
Aspyr also said a second patch related to Challenge Mode is in the works, and that the team is reviewing crashes, save game bugs, AI, and inventory issues.
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream: 20-Player Raids and a Big Co-Op Pitch on PS5
Rounding out April’s Monthly Games is Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream on PS5, and it’s the most straightforward proposition of the bunch: a co-op action RPG built around the appeal of the franchise and the joy of teaming up.
The setup revolves around Galaxia, a system added to ALfheim Online that allows players to relive the past—until it spirals out of control and starts pulling characters from across time and space into the same mess. The result is a crossover-style story where Kirito teams up with friends and foes alike.
Mechanically, the big selling point is scale. The game supports 20-player online co-op, structured as five parties of four players each, and features 21 characters drawn from various arcs. The emphasis is on raid-style encounters with high-difficulty bosses, where preparation and role composition matter.
If you’re the kind of PS Plus subscriber who likes having at least one “download it for the weekend and play with friends” option each month, this is that game.
Claim Dates, Tiers, and How the Monthly Games Work
Sony’s April 2026 Monthly Games are available to claim from:
- Start: April 7, 2026
- End: May 4, 2026
Once you claim them, they stay in your library, and you can download and play them whenever you want—as long as you remain an active PlayStation Plus subscriber (Essential, Extra, or Premium).
Sony also notes that the Monthly Games lineup may differ by region, and advises checking the PlayStation Store on release day.
Why This April Lineup Is Sneakily Strong
On paper, April looks like a “normal” PS Plus Essential month: three games, one big headliner, one nostalgia pick, one niche pick. In practice, it’s a lineup with real range—and more importantly, real intent.
- Lords of the Fallen gives PS5 owners a substantial, modern action RPG with a post-launch improvement story and a sequel on the horizon.
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is a historically important trilogy packaged with expansions and modern toggles, and it’s arriving right as its Challenge Mode controversy is being actively addressed with patches.
- Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream fills the co-op slot with a clear “raid night” identity, built around 20-player online play and a large character roster.
It’s not a month that tries to please everyone with safe picks. It’s a month that says: pick your lane—hardcore combat, classic exploration, or online co-op—and you’ll probably find something to dig into.
What Remains Unknown
A few details still aren’t fully nailed down:
- Regional differences: Sony warns the lineup may vary by region, but specifics haven’t been detailed ahead of release day.
- Exact patch timing across all platforms for future fixes: Aspyr has confirmed a second Challenge Mode-related patch is in the works for Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, but no release date has been announced.
- Any additional April PS Plus promotions: No official announcement has been made about bonus Monthly Games beyond the confirmed trio for Essential (despite some chatter framing the month as “more than three” depending on platform counts and prior claims).
April 7 can’t come soon enough—because whether you’re here for Adyr’s brutal comeback, Lara’s lovingly preserved jank, or a 20-player anime raid, PS Plus Essential is offering a lot more personality than usual this month.
