PS Plus: 11 Games Leaving November 17, and the Timing Is No Accident
To make way for GTA VI, Rockstar is clearing the decks: Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V are leaving PS Plus exactly 48 hours before the big launch. When you want everyone’s eyes on one screen, you turn the others off.
The “Last Chance to Play” section on PlayStation Plus just got 11 titles longer, all set to disappear on November 17, 2026. But it’s Rockstar’s two heavyweights that turn this wave of removals into a bold business move. After October’s arrivals, Extra and Premium subscribers are about to feel the sting.
Image credit: Sony
11 games leaving, but two that really hurt
This November’s wave of departures hits harder than usual. Eleven titles will exit the Extra and Premium catalog on November 17. Some will vanish without much fuss, but others will leave a serious hole in subscribers’ libraries. As always, it’s smart to play these games before they’re gone if you planned to dive in.
Here’s the full list of games leaving:
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Football Manager 26
- The Talos Principle 2
- Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
- Rock of Ages III: Make and Break
- Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair
- Rapala Fishing Pro Series
- Yet Another Zombie Defense HD
On paper, The Talos Principle 2 and Football Manager 26 are big losses for puzzle and sports management fans. But let’s be real: it’s Rockstar’s two juggernauts that steal the spotlight. Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V were among the strongest reasons to subscribe, and their simultaneous exit is anything but random.
Timing that’s no accident
On November 17, Rockstar’s two blockbusters vanish from the service. On November 19, GTA VI hits stores. Just two days apart. You’d have to be pretty naïve to think that’s a coincidence. Rockstar is clearing the stage for its new blockbuster: by pulling its older hits from the subscription catalog, the studio makes sure no one’s wandering the American West or Los Santos when Leonida opens its doors.
The move is even clearer when you see the business logic. If you could play GTA V with your subscription, why drop $70 on a new Rockstar game while the old one still delivers? By cutting off access, Rockstar turns every subscriber into a potential buyer. It’s part of Sony’s recent PS Plus strategy: subscription catalogs are now full-on marketing tools, with additions and removals following a razor-sharp commercial calendar. See more on Sony’s latest PS Plus moves here.
What’s coming in November to make up for it
With these departures, subscribers are left wondering what Sony has planned to soften the blow. November’s new games will be announced on October 28—just eight days away—before dropping on November 3. For now, there’s no telling if the lineup will match what’s being lost.
October set the bar high with Horizon Forbidden West, Mafia: The Old Country, and Dino Crisis 2. Sony will have to go big to make up for Rockstar’s double exit, especially for subscribers who aren’t planning to jump into GTA VI on day one. The big question: will November’s PS Plus be a real consolation prize, or just a sideshow for the most anticipated game of the decade?
So you’ve got until November 17 to wrap up your runs in Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V. The October 28 announcement should reveal whether Sony has a worthy replacement lineup—or if all of November is just a red carpet for GTA VI.
