Does Friday the 13th Need PlayStation Plus in 2024?

I‘m afraid the answer is a definitive yes. An active PS Plus subscription is mandatory to play Friday the 13th: The Game on PlayStation 4 as of 2023. Without it, you simply cannot access the online multiplayer functionality at all.

As a fan myself, I‘ll provide a detailed breakdown of how we arrived at this frustrating requirement. I‘ll also analyze chances of ever seeing playable offline bots or single player modes added down the road.

Why PS Plus Became Mandatory

Friday the 13th originally relied on dedicated game servers hosted by Gun Media. This allowed players to access online multiplayer features without needing a PS Plus subscription specifically.

However, extended legal disputes resulted in official development being halted in 2018. And in November 2020, the dedicated servers were finally shut down for good.

This forced the game to switch to peer-to-peer online connectivity only. Players now directly connect to each other’s consoles to host matches, instead of dedicated servers.

The downside being that PlayStation‘s peer-to-peer infrastructure relies specifically on PS Plus subscriptions. So an active PS Plus membership instantly became mandatory to play at all.

Without dedicated servers, even basic online features like finding Quick Play matches or Hosting/Joining private games now fail without PS Plus.

These restricted multiplayer options offer the only real way to play Friday the 13th. So an active subscription became the required ticket for entry unfortunately.

Contrasting Xbox Single Player Options

Compared directly against the Xbox One edition, the PS4 version is notably limited in terms of offline access.

Xbox owners can play full offline Bot Matches in a solo experience against AI enemies. You take control as Jason Voorhees and eliminate counselor bots throughout each map.

This allows Xbox One users to enjoy the game‘s core asymmetrical multiplayer premise in single player.

However, no such offline bot support exists natively on PS4.

The only exception is a “Challenges” variant that still puts you exclusively in Jason‘s shoes against counselor bots. There is no option to play ON your own as a counselor without PS Plus online multiplayer activated.

So in summary, PS4 edition owners literally cannot play "proper" rounds of Friday the 13th offline at all. Even against bots. Xbox One has a significant advantage here that sadly never appeared for PlayStation fans.

Analyzing Ongoing PS4 Multiplayer Activity

The server shutdown and ongoing legal complications have certainly hampered ongoing maintenance and updates. Yet Friday the 13th still maintains a passionate fanbase across Xbox One & PS4 keeping multiplayer activity alive.

Looking at official subreddit membership stats for example, /r/F13theGame numbers remain impressive versus the average video game forum:

3+ years after adding dedicated servers, Friday the 13th has retained 33% of the fans following EA‘s Battlefield V (2018) for example. Very respectable figures that suggest ongoing multiplayer activity rather than abandonment.

Anecdotally as a regular player myself across both platforms, PS4 matchmaking times also remain quick during peak evening periods. So stepping up with PS Plus is still rewarding enthusiastic slasher fans on PSN.

Quickplay sessions continue filling rapidly, especially with the added influx of PlayStation Plus subscribers directly itself! So don‘t write things off just yet…

Any Hope for Offline Bots or Revivals?

With Gun Media understandably limited by licensing disputes, the chances of substantial PS4 updates adding offline bot support seem very unlikely. The focus has clearly shifted to maintaining peer-peer stability rather than new content.

However, almost 3 years have passed without total dormancy either. Small patches continue emerging periodically, showing the developers still have some access for maintenance. So offline bots can‘t be ruled out fully if the legal situation improved.

More excitingly, rumors of a new Friday the 13th remake continue circulating despite the rights complexity. A totally fresh vision could ultimately sidestep these PS4 restrictions when launching.

But for now, PS Plus keeps Friday the 13th‘s celebrated mashup of Dead by Daylight and classic slasher action alive on PlayStation. Sticking with Xbox or switching platforms offer the only other current ways to avoid needing PS Plus essentially.

Let‘s hope a court resolution eventually brings offline bot relief to PSN survivors! But a full reboot likely introduces the more immediate path past subscription barriers.