EA Sports UFC 5 has enjoyed a renewed surge in popularity following its inclusion in the PlayStation Plus Extra catalog earlier this month.  The latest installment in the acclaimed mixed martial arts franchise, which will celebrate its second anniversary in October, has fans eagerly anticipating news about a potential sequel.  The game's availability at no extra cost through PlayStation Plus has attracted a new wave of players, many experiencing the virtual octagon for the first time.

Sony refreshes the PlayStation Plus game library monthly.  Essential tier subscribers receive a selection of new titles, while Extra and Premium members gain access to an expansive catalog of games, with new additions and removals each month.  March 2025's additions included EA Sports UFC 5, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation - Code Fairy, You Suck at Parking, and more. Among this impressive lineup, EA Sports UFC 5 appears to have resonated most strongly with players.

Despite ongoing rumors about the development of EA Sports UFC 6, the current title maintains a strong player base, fueled in part by its recent addition to PlayStation Plus Extra.  Data from True Trophies indicates that EA Sports UFC 5 garnered the most attention among the new PS Plus titles this month, boasting a remarkable 127.3% player count increase and climbing to the fifteenth spot on the list of most popular PlayStation games for the week.  This achievement makes it the second most successful PlayStation Plus game release this year, trailing only God of War Ragnarok, which joined the service in January.

Industry insiders suggest that EA Vancouver is working on the next UFC installment.  However, the studio remains committed to supporting EA Sports UFC 5 with regular content updates.  The most recent patch, released in February, introduced a new fighter, alter egos, gameplay adjustments, and more.  While the game received generally positive reviews, a common critique centered on the initial roster's limited representation of ranked fighters. Thanks to continuous updates, EA Sports UFC 5 now boasts nearly 100% parity with the current UFC top ten rankings.

While EA celebrated UFC 5's player count surge, a recent report highlighted the comparatively lower popularity of the March 2025 PS Plus Essential free games.  Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Sonic Colors: Ultimate, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection appeared promising on paper, but their player engagement fell short of expectations, with a reported 15.2% drop compared to February and a 10.8% decrease compared to January.