Well, well, well, look who decided to shake things up! Back in the not-so-distant past of 2023, Sony pulled a sneaky one. Instead of their usual last-Wednesday-of-the-month routine for announcing the free PlayStation Plus Essential games, they casually dropped the news during a State of Play event. Talk about letting the cat out of the bag early! This move set a fun precedent, reminding everyone that in the world of gaming subscriptions, you've gotta expect the unexpected. For March 2023, the haul was nothing to sneeze at: the chaotic all-out warfare of Battlefield 2042, the anime-styled vampire Souls-like Code Vein, and the family-friendly dungeon crawler Minecraft Dungeons. A pretty solid trio, if you ask us.

Now, let's break down that 2023 lineup, because it was a real mixed bag of goodies. Essential tier subscribers, the backbone of the service, could add these to their digital libraries faster than you can say "download."

• Battlefield 2042 (PS4/PS5): The big kahuna. This one offered native versions for both PS4 and PS5, letting players dive into its massive 128-player battles (on PS5, that is). It was a chance for many to see if the game had finally found its footing after a... let's say, rocky launch. Spoiler alert: by 2026, it's considered a classic turnaround story!

• Code Vein (PS4): For those who thought Dark Souls needed more anime melodrama and flashy combat. This PS4 title was fully playable on PS5 thanks to backward compatibility, a feature that has only become more crucial and appreciated as we move through the 2020s.

• Minecraft Dungeons (PS4): The perfect palate cleanser. A charming, accessible dungeon crawler set in the blocky universe we all know and love. Great for some couch co-op fun without the soul-crushing difficulty of its shelf-mate, Code Vein.

But hold your horses! The Essential games were just the appetizer. The real feast was (and still is in 2026) for those subscribed to the PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers. Sony played it coy back then, not giving a firm date for the monthly game drop for these higher tiers, but they did tease some absolute bangers.

The confirmed lineup for March 2023's Extra/Premium update was enough to make any gamer's wallet breathe a sigh of relief:

Game	Genre	Why It's Cool
Ghostwire: Tokyo	Action-Adventure	Supernatural tourism in a spookily empty Shibuya. Visually stunning!
Immortals Fenyx Rising	Action-Adventure	Greek mythology meets Breath of the Wild. A hidden gem for many.
Rainbow Six Extraction	Tactical Shooter	Fighting aliens with your squad. Intense, cooperative PvE action.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves	Action-Adventure	The definitive way to play two of Nathan Drake's best adventures in 4K.

And then, there was the star of the show: Tchia. This little game was a big freakin' deal. Why? It was a day-one release on the PS Plus Extra/Premium service. Subscribers could play it the very moment it launched on March 21. This practice has become more common in recent years, but back in 2023, it was a major value proposition that showed Sony was serious about competing in the subscription space. Tchia, with its beautiful New Caledonia-inspired world and quirky soul-jumping mechanics, became the poster child for why the higher PS Plus tiers were worth the upgrade.

Fast forward to 2026, and the lessons from March 2023 are still evident. The service continues to blend reliable monthly Essential picks with a deep, rotating Extra catalog and the occasional day-one surprise for Premium members. The early announcement via State of Play showed that Sony isn't afraid to break tradition for a bigger splash. While we don't have a crystal ball for March 2026's exact lineup, the formula is tried and true: expect a little chaos, a lot of variety, and maybe, just maybe, another hidden gem dropping right into your library on launch day. After all, in the world of PS Plus, the only constant is change—and a heck of a lot of games to play. Keep those hard drives empty, folks! :video_game::fire: