Hey there – I know a bunch of you have been asking this question so I wanted to give a thorough breakdown.
The short answer is: unfortunately no, God of War is not currently free on PlayStation Plus for PS5 owners.
It‘s not part of the monthly PS Plus free games lineup, nor is it in the PS Plus Collection catalog of games that PS5 owners can download at no extra cost either. I‘ll explain the details below.
Now I know this super popular game is on a ton of PS5 wishlists. And who can blame you? God of War won Game of the Year in 2018 for a reason! This reboot of the classic hack and slash franchise is one of the highest rated PlayStation games ever thanks to its stunning visuals, satisfying combat, and surprising emotional depth.
So let‘s take a deeper look at your options for playing God of War on your shiny new PS5 without having to pay full price. I‘ve got you covered with all the insider details!
Can You Get God of War for Free Through PlayStation Plus?
Let‘s start with PlayStation Plus since a lot of you have subscriptions to Sony‘s membership program. Here are all the ways it could potentially give you access to God of War:
As a monthly free PS Plus game – Sony rotates in a selection of free PS4 and PS5 games each month for subscribers. God of War has not been one of them yet on PS5, but it‘s possible in the future. The 2018 God of War has not been offered this way so far.
As part of the PS Plus Collection for PS5 – This gives PS5 owners access to big PS4 exclusives like God of War. But the 2018 version is NOT in the PS Plus Collection currently.
For free during special promotions – Occasionally Sony gives away first party games for free for a limited time to PS Plus members. If they do this for God of War, you could add it to your library.
Through the PlayStation Plus Premium game catalog – This higher tier offers a library of PS4 games. God of War is not in the catalog now, but Sony could add it later on.
So in summary, while God of War is currently NOT available for free through PlayStation Plus, Sony could offer it in a few different ways in the future. But there‘s no guarantee if or when unfortunately.
Does PS Plus Give You Any God of War Games Currently?
I know you‘re primarily interested in the incredible 2018 God of War reboot. But what about the older games in the franchise?
Well God of War III Remastered WAS offered as a monthly PlayStation Plus game back in September 2018. So subscribers back then could download it for free on PS4.
However, it‘s no longer available this way. God of War III Remastered is also not part of the PlayStation Plus Collection for PS5 owners.
The only way to currently access the older God of War III Remastered through PS Plus is via the PlayStation Plus Premium game catalog. This service offers a library of PS4 and PS3 games, including God of War III Remastered.
But Premium does not have the 2018 God of War. So unfortunately no way to get that through a PlayStation Plus subscription right now.
What About God of War Ragnarok – Will That Be Free on PS Plus?
Let‘s talk about the upcoming sequel God of War Ragnarok that arrives on PS5 (and PS4) later in 2022. Will Ragnarok be free on launch day through PlayStation Plus?
I can say with about 99.9% certainty that God of War Ragnarok will NOT be available for free on day one through a PS Plus subscription.
Here‘s why:
It‘s one of Sony‘s biggest upcoming PS5 exclusives and they want to maximize sales. Offering it free on launch would not achieve that goal.
Recent major first party releases like Horizon Forbidden West have remained full price and not free with PS Plus. Expect the same for Ragnarok.
Sony will want to sell Ragnarok at full price for at least the first 6-12 months. Offering it free out of the gate doesn‘t align with that strategy.
Now will Ragnarok ever come to PS Plus down the road? I‘d say it‘s very possible. Sony has put first party games on the service after their initial sales window closes.
Just look at Marvel‘s Spider-Man – it came out in 2018, sold a bazillion copies right away at full price, then was added to the PS Plus Collection in 2020.
So in 1-2+ years after release, I could potentially see Ragnarok follow a similar path. But definitely don‘t expect free access for quite a while. Sony wants those juicy, full price sales first and foremost!
Okay, So What Are My Options for Playing God of War on PS5?
Alright, let‘s recap your current options for playing this incredible PS4 game on your new PS5 console if you don‘t want to pay full price:
Buy a used physical disc – Pick up a used PS4 copy on disc to pop into your PS5. You can find discounts this way if you don‘t mind pre-owned.
Keep an eye out for sales on the PlayStation Store – God of War frequently goes on sale digitally for $10-$20. Wishlist it and wait for a deal.
See if a friend or family member has a copy you can borrow – No harm in asking politely if someone you know will let you borrow their disc for a bit!
Rent the disc at Redbox or GameFly – Old school rental services let you play for cheap if you just want to do a quick run through.
Check for a free trial of PlayStation Now – This streaming service includes God of War in its library. You may catch a free trial promo.
Watch a story recap or playthrough on YouTube/Twitch – You won‘t get the full hands-on experience, but you‘ll see everything God of War has to offer.
Basically, unless you catch a really good sale or free trial, you‘ll have to put down at least a little cash to experience this gem. But trust me – it‘s worth every penny! God of War truly lives up to all the Game of the Year hype.
And like I said earlier, keep an eye on PlayStation Plus in the future. Sony may eventually add God of War as a free monthly game or into the PS Plus Premium catalog. You never know!
What Other Great Games Can You Get for Free on PlayStation Plus?
Even if God of War isn‘t free, a PS Plus membership still hooks you up with a bunch of awesome games across PS4 and PS5.
Here are just 10 of the many stellar titles you can download right now for absolutely zilch:
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Fallout 76
- Axiom Verge 2
- Battlefield 2042
- Far Cry 6
- Celeste
- Control: Ultimate Edition
- Hollow Knight
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Bloodborne
That‘s a pretty sweet lineup, if you ask me! And it refreshes every month with new free games. Definitely take full advantage of this perk that comes with your PlayStation Plus subscription.
You can build up quite the game collection without having to pay extra. Even if God of War isn‘t in the mix (yet!), the other freebies are fantastic.
Will God of War Ever Be Free on PlayStation Plus?
This is the big question, right? Could God of War magically appear as a free PlayStation Plus game down the line?
There‘s no guarantees, but looking at a few key factors can give us clues:
PlayStation loves offering older first party games on PS Plus after the initial sales period ends. This gets late adopters to subscribe.
With Ragnarok coming up, Sony may want to drive up engagement by offering the 2018 God of War as a freebie.
But they also may want to keep selling both games at full price for as long as possible to maximize revenue.
God of War could hypothetically be added to the PlayStation Plus Premium classic game catalog in a few years.
My gut feeling? I‘d say there‘s a decent chance God of War comes to PlayStation Plus eventually. The PS4 version is over 4 years old now, so Sony will likely want engagement over earnings at this point.
Will it happen in the next few months? Probably not with Ragnarok releasing soon. But down the road, I could envision God of War ending up as a PS Plus free game or Premium catalog addition.
But this is just an educated guess – don‘t take it as guaranteed! I can‘t predict the future. All I can say for sure is that as of now, God of War is not free. So temper your expectations, but also keep an eye out!
The Bottom Line
Let‘s recap everything we just went over:
God of War is not currently free on PlayStation Plus for PS5 owners, whether through monthly games or the PS Plus Collection.
Don‘t expect the upcoming sequel God of War Ragnarok to be free at launch either. Sony will want paid sales.
You may be able to play God of War for free down the road if Sony offers it through a promotion or future PS Plus Premium catalog. But nothing is guaranteed.
Your best current options are finding used discs, sales, rentals, or free trials of streaming services like PlayStation Now.
An active PS Plus membership still gives you tons of awesome free games every month across PS4 and PS5. Take advantage of these!
So in closing, while it‘s a bummer God of War isn‘t free, PlayStation Plus subscribers like yourself still get showered with freebies each month. I hope this breakdown gave you a better idea of when and how God of War could potentially be released for free in the future too.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to provide tips and info to fellow gamers. Enjoy that PS5! There are so many amazing experiences waiting for you even without God of War right now.
