PS Plus March 2026: Monster Hunter Rise Headlines a Surprisingly Strong Lineup
PlayStation Plus monthly lineups have been inconsistent lately. Some months feel like Sony raided the clearance bin, while others deliver genuine value that justifies the subscription.
Indie game enthusiast and pixel art admirer. I play everything so you don't have to — but you'll want to after reading my picks.
PlayStation Plus monthly lineups have been inconsistent lately. Some months feel like Sony raided the clearance bin, while others deliver genuine value that justifies the subscription. March 2026 falls firmly into the second category, with Monster Hunter Rise headlining a lineup that ranges from excellent to surprisingly solid.
The Full March 2026 Lineup
Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise
Capcom Development Division 2 · Capcom
Mar 26, 2021
Rise to the challenge and join the hunt! In Monster Hunter Rise, the latest installment in the award-winning and top-selling Monster Hunter series,…
Monster Hunter Rise is the clear star of the month, and for good reason. Capcom's action RPG originally launched on Nintendo Switch in 2021 before receiving PS4 and PS5 ports in 2023. It sits at an 87 on Metacritic and an 85 on IGDB, making it one of the highest-rated games to hit PS Plus in recent memory.
For anyone unfamiliar with the series, Monster Hunter is exactly what it sounds like. You hunt enormous creatures across sprawling maps, carve materials from their bodies, and craft increasingly powerful weapons and armor to hunt even bigger creatures. The loop is simple on paper but incredibly deep in practice. Each of the 14 weapon types plays like its own game, and learning monster attack patterns creates a skill curve that keeps you improving for hundreds of hours.
Rise specifically brought the series to a faster, more mobile combat style. The Wirebug mechanic lets you zip around the battlefield with aerial attacks and quick repositioning. Compared to Monster Hunter World, Rise feels snappier and more aggressive. Some longtime fans preferred World's weightier approach, but Rise is arguably the better entry point for new players because of how responsive everything feels.
The base game alone offers roughly 60 to 80 hours of content before you even touch the Sunbreak expansion, which is sold separately. That's an enormous amount of game for a PS Plus inclusion. The multiplayer is still active, and hunting with friends remains one of the best cooperative experiences in gaming. If you've been curious about Monster Hunter but never took the plunge, this is your moment.
Sifu
Sifu
Sloclap
Feb 8, 2022
Sifu is a realistic third-person brawler with tight Kung Fu combat mechanics and cinematic martial arts action embarking you on a path for revenge.
Sifu is the second game in the March lineup, and it's a strong pick. Sloclap's martial arts action game earned widespread praise for its tight combat and unique aging mechanic. Every time you die, your character ages. Die too many times and you're fighting as an elderly warrior with more damage output but less health. It creates this fascinating tension where a clean run through a level feels incredible, but a sloppy one can have permanent consequences for the rest of your playthrough.
The combat system draws heavily from kung fu cinema. You'll block, parry, sweep, and combo through rooms full of enemies with a rhythm that feels almost musical when you get into the zone. It's demanding, no question. Early attempts will feel punishing. But the game rewards patience and pattern recognition, and there's a genuine sense of mastery as you learn to flow through encounters that previously destroyed you.
Sifu has been updated significantly since launch, with difficulty options and additional content that addressed some early criticisms about accessibility. The game was already excellent, and the updates made it more welcoming without compromising its identity. At its Metacritic score of 80, it's a well-regarded title that many PS Plus subscribers likely missed at full price.
Curse of the Dead Gods
Curse of the Dead Gods
Passtech Games · Focus Entertainment
Feb 23, 2021
You seek untold riches, eternal life, divine powers - it leads to this accursed temple, a seemingly-infinite labyrinth of bottomless pits, deadly t…
Curse of the Dead Gods rounds out the lineup as the indie offering. It's a roguelike action game set in a cursed temple, and while it didn't generate the same buzz as Hades, it's a genuinely good time. The corruption mechanic adds a layer of risk management to the standard roguelike formula. As you explore, you accumulate curses that change the rules. Maybe torches hurt you now. Maybe gold damages you when you pick it up. Managing these curses while pushing deeper creates interesting decisions every run.
The combat is fast and responsive, with a parry system that rewards aggressive play. Weapon variety is solid, and the temple aesthetics give the game a distinct visual identity. It's not going to change your life, but it's 15 to 20 hours of quality roguelike action, and it pairs well with the more substantial games in the lineup.
Value Analysis
Let's break down the numbers. Monster Hunter Rise currently sells for $29.99 on the PlayStation Store. Sifu sits at $39.99, and Curse of the Dead Gods is $19.99. That's $89.97 in combined retail value for a single month of PS Plus Essential, which costs $79.99 per year or roughly $6.67 per month.
Even accounting for regular sale prices, which would bring the combined total closer to $45 to $50, the March lineup offers strong value. Monster Hunter Rise alone would justify the monthly cost multiple times over based on sheer content hours. A single weapon type in that game can keep you busy longer than most full-priced releases.
The quality floor is high this month too. There's no "filler" game padding out the numbers. All three titles reviewed well, and all three offer distinct experiences. That's not always the case with PS Plus lineups, where one strong game often carries two forgettable ones.
Who Is Each Game For?
Monster Hunter Rise is for anyone who enjoys cooperative PvE action games. If you liked Monster Hunter World, Dauntless, or even the boss fights in Souls games, Rise will click with you. The crafting loop is satisfying, the combat is excellent, and the multiplayer extends the experience significantly. It's also surprisingly good solo, though some late-game hunts are balanced with groups in mind.
Sifu is for players who want a challenging single-player action game with style. If you enjoyed Sekiro, the Batman Arkham series combat, or old-school beat-em-ups, Sifu delivers. Fair warning: this game will test your patience early on. The learning curve is steep. But if you stick with it, the payoff is substantial.
Curse of the Dead Gods is for roguelike fans who've already exhausted Hades and are looking for their next fix. It's not as polished or narratively ambitious as Hades, but the core gameplay loop is engaging and the curse mechanic adds enough novelty to keep things interesting through multiple runs.
How Does This Compare to Recent Months?
January 2026 was mediocre. The lineup featured decent but unremarkable games that generated little excitement. February improved with a stronger headliner but still felt like a mid-tier month. March is a clear step up. Monster Hunter Rise is the kind of headliner that makes people glad they subscribed.
Looking back further, the last time PS Plus had a month this strong was probably October 2025, which featured a similarly well-regarded action title. The pattern suggests Sony tends to front-load quality months before quieter periods, so enjoy March while it lasts.
Compared to Xbox Game Pass, which operates on a different model entirely, PS Plus Essential remains a more limited proposition. You get fewer games, you keep them only while subscribed, and the selection is curated rather than library-based. But months like March demonstrate that curation has its advantages. Three carefully chosen games can be more valuable than a library of 50 titles you'll never touch.
Final Thoughts
March 2026 is a good month for PS Plus subscribers. Monster Hunter Rise carries the lineup with its depth and replayability, Sifu adds a challenging action experience with real style, and Curse of the Dead Gods rounds things out with solid roguelike gameplay. The combined value exceeds the subscription cost comfortably, and the quality across all three titles is consistent.
If you only play one game from this lineup, make it Monster Hunter Rise. The sheer volume of content is staggering, and there's a reason the series has millions of dedicated players worldwide. Claim all three before the month ends, even if you don't plan to play them immediately. Future you will appreciate the options.