Games Leaving PS Plus: August 2026
Nine games left the PS Plus Extra and Premium Game Catalog on August 18, 2026. The big losses are Unicorn Overlord, one of the best tactical RPGs of the last few years, and the mainstream zombie-basher Dead Island 2. Good news if you don't play on Extra or Premium: no PS Plus Essential monthly games left this month, so there's nothing you need to claim.
These are catalog removals, not a monthly-games rotation. If you were mid-playthrough on any of these, the only way to keep going is to buy the game. Here's the full list, the three worth chasing down, and everything that just landed to replace them.
Games Leaving by Tier
Essential Monthly Games Leaving
None this month. No PS Plus Essential monthly games were removed in August 2026. If you're on the Essential tier, you don't need to do anything. Any monthly games you've already claimed stay in your library as long as you keep your subscription active.
Extra/Premium Games Leaving
All nine titles below left the catalog on August 18, 2026. Sorted by Metacritic score, highest first.
| Game | Tier | Metacritic | Time to Beat | Leave Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unicorn Overlord | Extra | 86 | ~44.5 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Röki | Extra | 82 | ~10-12 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Clash: Artifacts of Chaos | Extra | 77 | ~12 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Dead Island 2 | Extra | 75 | ~15 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Earth Defense Force 6 | Extra | 72 | ~45-48 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Harold Halibut | Extra | 69 | ~12-15 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Onee Chanbara ORIGIN | Extra | 69 | ~5-10 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Space Crew | Extra | 59 | ~17-19 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Bomber Crew | Extra | OpenCritic 78 | ~12-20 hrs | Aug 18, 2026 |
These games have been removed from the catalog. Unlike Essential monthly games, Extra and Premium titles cannot be permanently claimed. If you want to keep playing one of them, you'll need to buy it outright.
Don't Miss: Priority Picks
If you managed to start any of these before the cutoff, or you're deciding whether one is worth buying now, start here.
1. Unicorn Overlord
This is the one that stings. Metacritic 86 makes Unicorn Overlord the highest-rated game in the whole batch, and it deserves it. Vanillaware built a gorgeous tactical RPG with deep unit-building, real strategic bite, and hand-drawn art that looks like a moving painting. It's the kind of game that quietly eats a hundred hours.
Time commitment: Big. Around 44-45 hours for the main story, and completionists can double that. This was never a "finish it in a weekend" pick.
Required tier: Extra or higher.
2. Röki
If you want a game you can actually finish in a couple of evenings, Röki is it. This Scandinavian folklore adventure earned a Metacritic 82 for its puzzle design, its art, and a story that's more emotionally sharp than its cozy look suggests. At roughly 10-12 hours, it's the easiest game here to see all the way through.
Time commitment: Short. One or two relaxed sessions.
Required tier: Extra or higher.
3. Dead Island 2
The mainstream pick. Dead Island 2 landed at Metacritic 75, and while it's not reinventing anything, it's a genuinely fun, ridiculously violent first-person zombie brawler with a satisfying gore system and a light-hearted tone. If you want to switch your brain off and dismember the undead in a sun-soaked Los Angeles, this delivers.
Time commitment: Moderate. About 15 hours for the main story, closer to 20 if you chase side content.
Required tier: Extra or higher.
Quick Takes on the Rest
- Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (MC 77) - A stylish, weird soulslike from the Zeno Clash studio with a distinctive art style and a fun dice-based combat twist. Around 12 hours, and better than its low profile suggests.
- Earth Defense Force 6 (MC 72) - Gloriously dumb co-op bug-blasting with hundreds of missions. Not for everyone, but if you and a friend want ~45 hours of giant-insect carnage, it scratches an itch nothing else does.
- Harold Halibut (MC 69) - A handmade, stop-motion-style narrative adventure set in an underwater city. Heavy on story and atmosphere, light on gameplay. A 12-15 hour vibe more than a challenge.
- Onee Chanbara ORIGIN (MC 69) - A remake of the campy bikini-samurai zombie-slasher series. Short arcade action, roughly 5-10 hours. Exactly as silly as it sounds.
- Bomber Crew (OpenCritic 78) - A tense WWII bomber management roguelike. Keeping your crew alive is genuinely stressful in a good way. No settled Metacritic score for the PS4 version, but critics rated it "Strong."
- Space Crew (MC 59) - Bomber Crew in space. The weakest reviewed game of the bunch, but the same crew-management loop if you liked the original.
FAQ: Games Leaving PS Plus
What's the difference between Essential and Extra/Premium games leaving?
PS Plus Essential monthly games can be claimed and kept permanently, as long as you keep an active subscription. Extra and Premium catalog titles, like everything on this month's list, are removed entirely when they leave. You can't claim them. This month, only Extra/Premium games left, so there was nothing to claim.
Can I still play these games?
Only if you buy them. Once an Extra or Premium title leaves the catalog, it disappears from your library. There's no claim option for these games. If you want to keep playing, purchasing it is the only route.
Will these games come back to PS Plus?
Possibly, but there's no guarantee or timeline. Extra and Premium catalogs rotate constantly, and titles do occasionally return. Don't count on it, though.
What if I'm mid-playthrough of an Extra game?
Your save data is safe. If you buy the game later, or if it ever returns to the catalog, you can pick up exactly where you left off. But you can't launch it from the catalog once it's gone.
What's Coming to Replace Them
Sony has already confirmed a strong August lineup for the Extra and Premium catalogs:
PS Plus Extra - Game Catalog:
- Helldivers 2 (PS5) - available Aug 12
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (PS5) - available Aug 18
- Vampire Survivors (PS5, PS4) - available Aug 18
- Hell is Us (PS5) - available Aug 25
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash (PS4) - available Aug 25
- Two Point Museum (PS5) - available Aug 25
- Metro Exodus (PS5, PS4) - available Aug 25
- Dying Light 2 (PS5, PS4) - available Aug 25
PS Plus Premium - Classics Catalog:
- Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (PS5, PS4)
- Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (PS5, PS4)
Regional lineups may vary. Some August 25 titles are confirmed for US, UK, and Japan.
Never Miss a PS Plus Change
Catalog games come and go fast, and Sony's heads-up is short. Vaulted.Games tracks every PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium change in one place, so you know what's leaving, what's landing, and what's actually worth your time before a game vanishes from your library. Set it up once and let the alerts do the work.
[Track PS Plus with Vaulted.Games →]
Last updated: August 19, 2026. Source: PlayStation Blog