September PS Plus Essential Game Has Leaked

The first free PlayStation Plus Essential game for September 2023 has reportedly been leaked, and it looks like next month will see players venture to Santo Ileso for the 2022 reboot of Saints Row. According to Dealabs user Billbil-kun--who regularly reveals the PS Plus lineup ahead of its official announcement by Sony--PS Plus subscribers will be able to claim Saints Row and two unidentified other games starting September 5 through October 3. The official announcement for September's PS Plus games is expected to come this Wednesday, August 30. [Update: September 2023's PlayStation Plus games have officially been announced, and Saints Row does indeed headline the month's list. Meanwhile, the price of PlayStation Plus is increasing.]

Saints Row received middling reviews since it first launched in August 2022, as it attempted to bring the franchise back to its roots with a more grounded--by Saints Row standards at least--tale of self-made success. While the overall absurdity was reigned in for this reboot, numerous bugs, open-world jank, and a predictable story made for a polarizing experience.

"Combat is decent, and the story missions are enjoyable when at their most over-the-top, but there's too much bland filler in between," Richard Wakeling wrote in GameSpot's Saints Row review. "Rebooting the series made sense, yet in many ways, Saints Row is still stuck in the past and struggling to live up to its legacy."

Since then, Volition has transitioned to become a part of Borderlands studio Gearbox, and has rolled out several substantial updates and DLC drops. PS Plus subscribers can still claim PGA Tour 2K23, Dreams and Death's Door as part of the August PS Plus offerings, until September 4.