If someone games regularly on a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, they really need a PlayStation Plus subscription to get the most out of their console. Not only does a PlayStation Plus subscription let PS4 and PS5 users game online, but it also gets them access to free games every month. Usually, the free PS Plus games for any given month consist of one PlayStation 5 game and two PS4 games, but there are some exceptions to that rule.

Sony's PS Plus subscription service had an impressive year in 2021, with Sony giving away truly high-quality games ranging from critically-acclaimed third-party titles to some of its own first-party blockbuster exclusives. There were a number of brand new games released through PS Plus in 2021 as well, with most of those being PlayStation 5 titles.

RELATED: Chart Shows 'Real' Value of PS Plus 2021 Games

There are rumors that PS Plus could be merged with a new kind of subscription service that will serve as a competitor to Xbox Game Pass. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen, but in the meantime, PS Plus subscribers can continue to look forward to new free games every month. It remains to be seen what the first free PS Plus games of 2022 will be, but while fans wait for that announcement, they can look back at all the free PS Plus games that were given away in 2021.

Free PS Plus Games List 2021

playstation plus
  • GreedFall (January)
  • Maneater (January)
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider (January)
  • Concrete Genie (February)
  • Control: Ultimate Edition (February)
  • Destruction AllStars (February)
  • Farpoint (March)
  • Final Fantasy 7 Remake (March)
  • Maquette (March)
  • Remnant: From the Ashes (March)
  • Days Gone (April)
  • Oddworld: Soulstorm (April)
  • Zombie Army 4: Dead War (April)
  • Battlefield V (May)
  • Stranded Deep (May)
  • Wreckfest (May)
  • Operation: Tango (June)
  • Star Wars: Squadrons (June)
  • Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (June)
  • A Plague Tale: Innocence (July)
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (July)
  • WWE 2K Battlegrounds (July)
  • Hunter's Arena: Legends (August)
  • Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville (August)
  • Tennis World Tour 2 (August)
  • Hitman 2 (September)
  • Overcooked! All You Can Eat (September)
  • Predator: Hunting Grounds (September)
  • Hell Let Loose (October)
  • Mortal Kombat X (October)
  • PGA Tour 2K21 (October)
  • First Class Trouble (November)
  • Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (November)
  • Knockout City (November)
  • The Persistence (November)
  • The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (November)
  • Until You Fall (November)
  • Godfall: Challenger Edition (December)
  • LEGO DC Super-Villains (December)
  • Mortal Shell (December)

While there will always be some people who aren't happy about the free PS Plus games, it's hard to look at this full list of free PS Plus games for 2021 and be upset. Sony definitely gave PS Plus subscribers their money's worth, especially when it comes to the free PS5 games, as they were usually brand new releases. This included games like Destruction AllStars, First Class Trouble, Hell Let Loose, and a number of other PS5 games that were released over the course of the past year.

And while Sony mainly stuck to giving away one free PS5 game and two free PS4 games every month, there were times when it broke from that pattern and offered subscribers bonus games as well. Most of the time this took the form of PlayStation VR games, like in March when Farpoint was free. More recently, Sony gave away three bonus PlayStation VR games to celebrate the headset's five year anniversary, offering The Persistence, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, and Until You Fall to PlayStation Plus subscribers in November, and giving them an entire two months to claim the games for their collection.

Free PS Plus games used to be available for one month at a time, and while that held true for most PS Plus games in 2021, there were times when Sony gave subscribers two months to claim the games. This happened with PS5 exclusive Destruction AllStars in February, and it's also the case with the three bonus PSVR games that were released as part of the free PlayStation Plus games for November 2021.

For the most part, 2021 was a strong year for PlayStation Plus, but there were still some complaints. There were a few months where fans weren't happy about the free PS Plus games, with many expressing discontent during months that focused almost entirely on multiplayer games. The free PS Plus games for October 2021 faced a lot of backlash in particular, as none of the games really fit the Halloween theme and Mortal Kombat X was already available through the PS Plus Collection on PS5.

Unfortunately, the free PS Plus games for 2021 are ending the year with some more backlash, as many fans aren't happy about Godfall: Challenger Edition being one of the free PS Plus games for December 2021. Godfall: Challenger Edition has less content than the proper Godfall release, cutting out the base game's story and the Fire & Darkness expansion content in favor of getting players directly to the endgame.

It will be interesting to see if Sony adjusts any of its PlayStation Plus plans in 2022 based on fan feedback, or if it's going to stick with what it's been doing. PS Plus subscribers won't know Sony's plans for the free PS Plus games for January 2022 until Wednesday, December 29, most likely.

MORE: PS Plus Subscribers Still Have Time to Claim 3 Free Bonus Games