PlayStation Plus Adds PS5 Exclusive Open World RPG

playstationlifestyle.net Jul 16, 2026

PlayStation Plus Adds PS5 Exclusive Open World RPG

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Jul 16, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Sony Interactive Entertainment has added Rise of the Ronin, a 2024 PS5 exclusive open-world RPG developed by Team Ninja, to the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalogs. This marks the first time a PS5-exclusive title has been included in the subscription service’s monthly lineup. The rollout is staggered by region, with players in the US, UK, and Japan gaining immediate access. Other regions will receive the game on Tuesday, July 21. Set in 1863 Japan during the Bakumatsu period, the game follows a nameless warrior amidst political turmoil and foreign invasion. Alongside Rise of the Ronin, the July 21 update for the US, UK, and Japan will include Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Firefighting Simulator: Ignite, and Premium-tier titles Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy and Indigo Prophecy. This addition expands the value proposition of Sony’s subscription tiers by integrating recent first-party exclusives directly into the rotating library, offering subscribers immediate access to high-profile console-specific content without additional purchase.

💡 Why It Matters

· Including a recent PS5 exclusive in the subscription catalog shifts Sony’s retention strategy, prioritizing library depth over strict day-one exclusivity for premium subscribers.
· This move validates the Extra and Premium tiers as viable alternatives to purchasing full-priced next-gen titles.

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Everything New in Hell Clock 2.0 and the Cursed War DLC

Hell Clock released its free 2.0 update on July 9, alongside console versions and the Cursed War DLC. Maxroll issued a guide package adding a database of new skills, relics and unique blessings, plus quality‑of‑life tweaks such as instant build sharing via save‑file upload. The update introduces three end‑game systems. Journey of Nightmares provides portals that spawn random foes, bosses and unique relic rewards with cosmetic tasks. Ascension, the roguelike mode, leaves beta with a Penance tree, a “Blessing of Beginnings” and gear access, letting players climb to Hell 100. Endless Nightmares replaces the older Abyss/Oblivion/Void with randomized zones, 16 difficulty tiers and shard‑based modifiers for progression. Changes rework ailments and endurance and add new relics and unlimited unique blessings per skill.

💡 The overhaul gives players a deeper, more customizable end‑game loop, turning Hell Clock from a niche ARPG into a platform for endless, skill‑driven experimentation.

ign.com · Jul 16

Pokémon Go Fans React in Disgust as Players Hand-Picked to Attend Exclusive…

Pokémon Go marked its 10th anniversary with an invitation‑only event in Times Square that gathered about 2,000 participants, including Community Ambassadors, media, and influencers. Attendees received a uniquely‑styled Mewtwo with perfect “hundo” stats and a special Times Square background—an unprecedented in‑game gift. Shortly after, several of these players listed the Pokémon on eBay, with prices ranging from $5,000 to bids near $10,000, violating Niantic’s terms of service and the game’s anti‑cheating rules that forbid selling or “flying” (location spoofing) to trade. Community members expressed outrage, questioning the fairness of gifting a guaranteed perfect Pokémon ahead of a global Mewtwo raid weekend and calling for Scopely Explore to investigate the sales and the involvement of Community Ambassadors.

💡 The resale exposes a loophole that lets a privileged few monetize exclusive in‑game items, undermining the game’s integrity and the trust placed in its ambassador program.

jaxdailyrecord.com · Jul 16

City permits Activate live-action game center at St. Johns Town Center

The City of Jacksonville issued a permit on July 15 for Activate, a Canadian immersive live-action game center, to open at St. Johns Town Center. Located at 10275 Buckhead Branch Drive, Suite 101, the facility occupies the former Ballard Designs space. The $1.6 million project involves an 8,700-square-foot build-out by ARCO/Murray National Construction Co. Inc., featuring 12 interactive game rooms. Activate, which operates over 75 locations globally, will run this Jacksonville site as a company-owned location rather than a franchise. The center, situated between Nordstrom and Dillard’s, offers physical challenges like laser mazes and interactive rock walls. A spokesperson confirmed the venue will open this year. Enovative Technologies Inc. served as the agent, with GMA Architecture designing the space. Activate currently has two Florida locations in Altamonte Springs and Orlando, with another planned for Miami. The facility aims to provide adrenaline-filled adventures through real-time reactive technology, requiring participants to jump, climb, and solve problems across various themed rooms.

💡 This expansion signals a strategic shift toward high-engagement physical entertainment in traditional retail spaces. By replacing a standard clothing retailer with an immersive activity center, St. Johns Town Center adapts to evolving consumer demands for experiential leisure over passive shopping.

windowscentral.com · Jul 16

REVIEW: Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II for Xbox and PC — An…

Jez Corden, Executive Editor at Windows Central, has published a highly positive review of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II headset for Xbox and PC. Corden, a prominent Xbox ecosystem reporter and co-host of TheXB2 podcast, describes the device as an "absolutely spectacular multi-platform headset." He specifically praises the audio quality, labeling it as Turtle Beach's "BEST audio EVER." Corden brings a decade of experience covering Microsoft-adjacent platforms, having previously worked in IT and web design before joining Windows Central. His background includes building web communities and breaking exclusive news on Xbox, Windows, and AI. The review highlights the headset’s performance across multiple platforms, reinforcing Corden’s reputation for detailed tech analysis. His extensive presence on social media and podcasting further amplifies the reach of this hardware assessment, providing gamers with a trusted perspective on the latest peripheral releases from a seasoned industry insider.

💡 Corden’s endorsement validates Turtle Beach’s engineering pivot toward superior audio fidelity in their flagship wireless line. This specific praise from a dedicated Xbox ecosystem authority directly influences purchasing decisions for console gamers seeking premium, cross-platform sound performance.

ign.com · Jul 16

Call of Duty: Black Ops Modder Highlights Major Exploits With New Port,…

Activision is investigating modding and hacking issues in the newly released PlayStation ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2. Shortly after the games became available on PS4 and PS5, modders exploited vulnerabilities originally from the PS3 version, allowing players to manipulate save files and game progress. Activision has removed certain playlists to address the problem, but the lack of updated encryption in the ports has made the games vulnerable to exploitation.

💡 The ease with which these ports have been compromised raises questions about the thoroughness of Activision’s porting process and its commitment to long-term support for older titles. The fact that modders can use the same methods from the PS3 era highlights a critical oversight in updating security measures for modern platforms.

windowscentral.com · Jul 16

Alienware made an “entry-level” gaming laptop with RTX 5050 graphics — but…

The Alienware 15, an entry-level gaming laptop with an RTX 5050 GPU, offers strong gaming performance with DLSS upscaling but is hampered by a limited 512GB SSD that leaves only 332GB of usable space. Priced from $1,399.99, it also suffers from loud fans and a keyboard that gets excessively warm during use.

💡 The Alienware 15 attempts to bridge the gap between budget and high-end gaming laptops, but its cramped storage and thermal issues highlight the challenges of packing powerful hardware into a compact, affordable design.