Billbil-kun has done it again. The Dealabs leaker who has an almost perfect track record on PS Plus lineups has now revealed a second title headed to PS Plus Essential in April: Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream, the 2024 action-RPG from Bandai Namco and developer Dimps.
This follows a separate leak from last week that pointed to Lords of the Fallen (specifically Hexworks' 2023 Souls-like, not the 2014 original) as the headline game for April. According to TheSixthAxis's coverage of the Billbil-kun leak, both titles are now confirmed by the same source ahead of Sony's official announcement.
What Fractured Daydream actually is
Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream launched in October 2024 as a kind of 10th anniversary celebration for the SAO franchise. The game pulls together 21 characters from across the series and offers three distinct play modes: a solo mode, a story mode, and an online co-op mode that supports up to 20 players simultaneously.
Here's the thing: the 20-player online fights are the real draw here. It's the kind of large-scale co-op content that the series hadn't attempted before, and for PS Plus subscribers who haven't touched it yet, this is a solid opportunity to try it without spending a cent.
The game launched to mixed reception, so it's not a universal slam dunk. But as a free addition to a monthly lineup that already includes a meaty Souls-like in Lords of the Fallen, April is shaping up to be a genuinely decent month.
The leak timeline leading up to Sony's announcement
Last week's Lords of the Fallen leak came first, also courtesy of Billbil-kun via Dealabs. That leak pointed clearly to Hexworks' 2023 reboot, which is the far more substantial of the two Lords of the Fallen games and a legitimate headliner for any monthly lineup.
Now with Fractured Daydream added to the picture, two of April's likely three Essential slots are accounted for. PS Plus Essential typically delivers three games per month, so one more title is presumably still waiting in the wings before Sony makes it official.
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Sony's official April PS Plus Essential announcement is expected on Wednesday, April 1st. The new games will replace March's lineup, which includes PGA Tour 2K25, Monster Hunter Rise, Slime Rancher 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road.Grab March games before the swap
With the April announcement imminent, the clock is ticking on March's offerings. Monster Hunter Rise in particular is worth grabbing if you haven't already, given the sheer volume of content it contains. Once April's lineup goes live, those March titles leave the monthly rotation for good.
According to Push Square's reporting on the upcoming announcement, Sony is expected to confirm the full April lineup on April 1st, at which point subscribers can start adding the new titles to their libraries. For more on what's available across all PS Plus tiers, the latest gaming news and guides can help you keep track of what's worth your time each month. Make sure to check out more:
