It’s Time To Stop Believing PlayStation Plus “Leaks”

Sony yesterday revealed the line-up for May 2020’s PlayStation Plus games lineup, which, even if you’re studying agriculture or architecture, was not exactly what you would call mind-blowing. Farming Simulator 19 and Cities: Skylines are both good but niche games, and definitely not of the same caliber many had been expecting based on recent months.

After a ResetEra user by the name of Adookah posted an image they had been sent by a friend of the leaked line-up, it spread like wildfire. Dying Light and Dark Souls Remastered were quite marquee names for the month, both more than the worth the price of monthly admission.

At first glance, the image looks credible, both because neither game is exactly brand new and because they fit the design of other banners like it in the past. Dig a little deeper, though, noticing the strange background and colouring around the Plus symbol for Dying Light, and it should raise some red flags. The poster also gave little context to the “leak”, just that a friend had been sent it.

This didn’t stop fans from latching onto it as the truth, though, leading to a huge outcry on social media when the actual line-up was released, a backlash so fervent that it reminded me of the time when PlayStation Plus was going through an especially rough patch.

There’s even a Change petition for Sony to reconsider and release the two games that were just fabricated instead, because of course there is.

While the games on their own would likely have caused plenty of disappointment, the added negative of expectations not being met only makes things worse. By this point, I really don’t understand why anyone believes PlayStation Plus leaks that don’t come from official sources — I can count on one hand how many times they were correct over many, many years of the service.

Late March (which is five years ago at this point) saw April’s titles being revealed much too soon when someone at PlayStation Access (an official PlayStation fan-orientated channel) pressed a button too soon. In late February, March’s line-up was also leaked early via international adverts.

Before that, though, it’s only taken cobbled together flyers, weak as piss Photoshop efforts, and just someone on a forum saying the names of desirable games to send people crazy, they then becoming upset when the lie doesn’t become a truth.

These “leaks” happen almost once a month, perpetuated by someone who’s just bored and wants or reaction, or a concept idea for what the line-up could be that’s just spiralled out of control. It doesn’t help that a lot of outlets put out predictions to ramp up the hype, or go overkill with SEO to try and edge in before everyone else, leading to just a whole load of confusion, especially amongst younger subscribers.

It reminds me, in a way, of how expectant Fortnite fans are for new content or just, well, anything. There are too many people who feed in to an excitable, demanding audience, and there are even fewer people in that audience who question what’s put before them.

It’s time to stop believing PlayStation Plus leaks. Until Sony officially announce them, you’re better off believing we will get Knack 1 and 2 each month to avoid disappointment.