PlayStation 5 Gamers Treated To Massive New Limited-Time Freebie, No PS Plus Needed

Soon, you will be able to play an upcoming shooter on PlayStation for free without having to subscribe to PS Plus.

Sony’s subscription service offers good value for money regardless of the tier that you pay for, whether it’s PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra or Premium. Of course, the higher the tier that you pay for, the more games and extras you’ll have access to.

Do I Need PlayStation Plus For The Latest Free Games?

Typically, but there are exceptions - such as this one!

For example, with PlayStation Plus Premium, you’ll not only have access to hundreds of PS5 and PS4 games but a ton of retro classics of yesteryear. You’ll also get cloud streaming, a curated selection of movies, trials and much more.

However, no matter the tier, you will get the customary access to online multiplayer (some free-to-play games do not require a PlayStation Plus subscription), discounts, free DLC and so forth.

That being said, you will not need a subscription whatsoever to take part in the upcoming open beta test for the third-person shooter co-op game, ARC Raiders, developed and published by Embark Studios.

“In ARC Raiders, gameplay flows between the surface ruled by lethal machines and the vibrant underground society of Speranza,” reads the synopsis of the game.

“Craft, repair, and upgrade your gear in the safety of your own workshop, before venturing topside to scavenge the remnants of a devastated but beautiful world.

“Play solo or in parties up to three, navigating the constant threat of ARC's machines and the unpredictable choices of fellow survivors. In the end, only you decide what kind of Raider you are - and how far you’ll go to prevail.”

The beta in question will take place between Friday, 17 October and Sunday, 19 October 2025. It will require no code to download; you simply access it via the PlayStation Store.

“Can we get one million concurrent players for the test?” said Phixate, replying to the tweet, throwing down the gauntlet.

“I wonder if this community will be able to outmatch the Battlefield 6 beta? The hype seems to be there,” claimed Airwingmarine1.

And I'm gone for a weekend,” declared FcSyR4g3.

“Will progress be kept or wiped after the open test?” asked imLobi to which TheMetzMan confirmed that progress will not carry over, as stated in the game's official FAQ.

You may also be pleased to know that you can access the ARC Raiders open beta via Steam, the Epic Games Store, as well as the Xbox Marketplace.

ARC Raiders will be released in its full form on 30 October 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It's perhaps worth mentioning that ARC Raiders is not free-to-play at launch.