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A padlock on a PlayStation Plus game usually means the account can’t currently verify a license—but the right fix depends on why the game was available. If an Extra or Premium Game Catalog title has left the catalog, the lock is expected and Restore Licenses cannot bring it back. If you deleted a game that is still available, or a monthly game you claimed, check the account, subscription and network first, then restore licenses.
A lock does not mean your install or save data has been erased. Use the checks below to identify the entitlement before you resubscribe, buy the game again or troubleshoot the console.
Why does a PlayStation Plus game show a padlock?
The padlock is an access or license warning, not proof that the game files or saves are gone. The key question is whether you still have the right to play the game. PlayStation Plus monthly games, rotating Game Catalog games, purchased games, disc games and games shared from another account all have different access rules.
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| How you got the game | What can cause the lock? | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Claimed monthly game | Your Plus membership expired, you are on the wrong account, or the license has not synced. | Sign in to the claiming account, confirm Plus is active, then restore licenses if needed. |
| Extra/Premium Game Catalog download | The game left the catalog, your tier no longer includes access, your membership lapsed, or the license needs verification. | Check the current catalog listing and membership before restoring licenses. |
| PlayStation Store purchase | Wrong account or edition, a license-sync issue, or a network verification problem. | Check transaction history and account, then restore licenses. |
| Disc game | The disc is absent or cannot be read. | Insert and check the disc; restoring a digital license will not replace it. |
| Game owned by another profile | Sharing is not enabled for this console, or a family restriction applies. | Check the owner’s sharing settings or ask the Family Manager to review restrictions. |
PlayStation’s support guidance says a small padlock beside a game can indicate a license problem. If the lock covers the whole game image, a Family Manager may need to amend restrictions instead. These are different problems, so note what the icon looks like before troubleshooting.
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Did the game leave the Game Catalog, or did you just delete it?
These situations can look identical on the home screen but have opposite answers. Deleting an eligible game removes its local install, not your entitlement. A catalog game leaving the service removes the entitlement to play it through Plus, even if its files remain installed.
If you deleted the game
Check that you are using the account that claimed or bought the game, that the Plus membership or purchase is still valid, and—if it is a catalog game—that the title is still listed. If those checks pass, redownload it from your Game Library and try restoring licenses. Removing the install does not cancel a valid monthly-game claim.
If the Game Catalog title rotated out
Extra and Premium Game Catalog games are rotating access, not permanent claims. When a game leaves, its Plus license stops working even if your membership is active and the install is still on the console. Restoring licenses, reinstalling the game, rebuilding the database or buying a Plus membership will not restore catalog access to a title Sony has withdrawn.
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For a current check, look at PlayStation’s Game Catalog page and the console’s Games home > PlayStation Plus > Benefits > Game Catalog. Check the Last Chance to Play row too. Catalog availability differs by region and changes over time, so a title’s absence or departure date in one country does not establish its status in another.
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As a timely US example, a Notebookcheck report dated 27 October 2026, citing the PlayStation Store, listed 12 titles scheduled to leave on 17 November 2026: Red Dead Redemption II, Grand Theft Auto V, Football Manager 26 Console, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Talos Principle 2, Cricket 24, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, Hotshot Racing, Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break, Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair, Rapala Fishing: Pro Series and Yet Another Zombie Defense HD. Treat that as a dated US list, not a universal or permanent one; verify the console’s current listing for your region.
What is the difference between a claimed monthly game and a Game Catalog game?
A monthly game you claimed during its offer window stays associated with your account after that month’s offer changes. A Game Catalog title is available only while it remains in the rotating catalog and your membership tier gives access.
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| Access type | What happens when the offer or catalog changes? | What happens if Plus expires? |
|---|---|---|
| Claimed monthly game (Essential and higher) | The claim stays in your library after the monthly offer ends. | It is not playable while the membership is inactive; access typically returns on the same account if you resubscribe. |
| Game Catalog (Extra and higher; Premium/Deluxe in some markets) | If the title leaves, its catalog entitlement ends even when the game is installed. | Catalog access is unavailable while membership is inactive. Resubscribing only helps if the game is still in the catalog. |
For monthly games, being subscribed during the offer is not enough if you never added the title to your library. You had to claim it during the offer window. After claiming it, deleting the download does not surrender that entitlement; redownload it from the library once the account has an eligible active membership.
Sony’s 2022 PlayStation.Blog explanation says that the seven-day PSN connection check applies to downloaded Game Catalog titles on Extra and Premium/Deluxe, not to Essential monthly downloadable games. For a catalog game still in the service, the console needs to connect to PSN every seven days to validate membership and maintain access. That periodic check is separate from a game being removed from the catalog.
How do I check the account, subscription and game listing?
Confirm the entitlement before you repair a license or pay for anything. A different local profile may see the lock simply because it is not the account that claimed or bought the game.
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- Sign in to the account that holds the game entitlement. This may be the account that claimed the monthly game, bought the game, or has the Plus membership.
- Check the transaction and subscription records. On the console, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Account > Payment and Subscriptions > Transaction History and review Subscriptions. Confirm whether the game was purchased or claimed and whether Plus is active.
- Check the right catalog and tier. A catalog game requires an eligible Extra-or-higher tier (called Premium or Deluxe in some markets) and must still be offered in your region. A monthly game needs a valid claim and active Plus membership.
- Check PlayStation Network status. Visit PlayStation Network Service Status. If sign-in or account services are down, wait until service returns before trying to restore licenses; the console needs to reach PSN to confirm access.
Do not buy a second copy until you have checked transaction history, your account, membership status and the catalog listing. Also check the game’s version: a Store page for a different platform version or edition can show a purchase prompt even when your library contains another edition. On the console, open Game Library, select the game, then check More or Select Version for the version you actually have.
How do I restore licenses on PS5 or PS4?
Restore Licenses can repair a license-verification problem when you still have the entitlement. Sony specifically describes it as useful for a padlock that is not related to an expired PlayStation Plus subscription. It cannot renew Plus, grant a game you never claimed or bought, or restore a Game Catalog game that has left.
PS5: restore licenses for all eligible content
- Open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses.
- Select the licenses you want to restore, then choose Restore.
- When it finishes, return to the game and try to start it again.
PS5: restore one game’s license
- Highlight the game on the home screen or in Game Library.
- Press the controller’s Options button.
- Select Restore License, then Restore.
PS4
- Go to Settings > Account Management > Restore Licenses.
- Select Restore, then retry the game.
Sony says restoring licenses does not affect your data. It will not transfer an entitlement to another PSN account, replace a disc that is not being read or unlock a title whose catalog access ended. If the console is offline or PSN is having an outage, license checks may not complete; reconnect and retry once service is available.
What if another account owns the game?
The account that owns the purchase or Plus entitlement must share access with other profiles on the console. On PS5, the owner can enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on one PS5 at a time.
- Sign in to the account that owns the game or subscription.
- Open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Select Enable, if the console is eligible.
If sharing was enabled on a previous PS5, the owner may need to disable it there first. If they can no longer access that console, PlayStation Support allows remote deactivation of all devices through Account Management, but Sony says this can be done only once every six months. On PS4, the equivalent setup is activating the console as the owner’s primary PS4. Sharing does not make the other profile the owner or transfer the entitlement to it.
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If the icon is a full-image family lock rather than a small license padlock, ask the Family Manager to check the account’s restrictions. Restoring licenses does not change parental controls.
How do I fix CE-109245-1 or a lock that remains?
Error CE-109245-1 means, “The license information of the content can’t be confirmed.” Treat it as a verification problem first, not an instruction to repurchase.
- Restart the PS5.
- Sign in to PlayStation Network using the account that owns the content.
- Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on that PS5, if appropriate for the owner’s setup.
If the game is still entitled and the lock remains, continue in this order:
- Install available system software updates: Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings on PS5.
- If the game is installed on PS5 USB extended storage, move it to the console’s internal storage before continuing launch troubleshooting.
- Delete and redownload the game from the correct account’s library. This removes the installed game files, not the separate save data; Sony’s official locked-games video says redownloading will not affect saved progress. Do not choose an option to delete saved data.
- If the issue persists, use Safe Mode to clear cache and rebuild the database. Power off the console; hold the power button again and release it after the second beep (about seven seconds). Connect the controller by USB, press the PS button, then choose Clear Cache and Rebuild Database on PS5 or Rebuild Database on PS4.
- Contact PlayStation Support if the entitlement checks out and the error remains. Have the game name, account sign-in ID, error code and troubleshooting steps ready. Never send your password or a one-time verification code to someone offering an informal “license fix.”
Database rebuilding is a later troubleshooting step, not a way to regain a departed catalog game. A factory reset or system-software reinstall should not be the first response to a padlock; back up saves before any system-software reinstall.
Can I play a catalog game offline?
Downloaded Extra/Premium Game Catalog titles need periodic online validation: Sony’s 2022 guidance specifies a PSN connection at least every seven days. A connection check can explain a verification lock on a game that is still available, but it does not extend access after the title leaves the catalog.
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Console Sharing and Offline Play can let other profiles use the owner’s downloaded purchases and some Plus benefits on the enabled PS5, including offline. It does not make a departed Game Catalog title permanently playable. If the console has been offline for longer than the validation window, reconnect it and allow PSN to verify the account before trying other repairs.
When should I contact PlayStation Support?
Contact support after confirming the correct account, entitlement type, active subscription, current catalog status and network availability, and after trying the relevant license or sharing fix. Include the exact error code, game edition and whether the lock is a small icon or covers the whole image. If it is a disc game, say whether the console recognizes the disc; if it is shared, clarify which account owns it.
The most important distinction is simple: a deleted game with a valid entitlement can usually be redownloaded or resynced; a catalog game that Sony has removed cannot be unlocked by console troubleshooting. Preserve save data, verify the entitlement before spending money and choose the fix that matches the reason for the lock.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my save if I delete a locked PS Plus game?
Deleting the installed game and deleting its saved data are separate actions. Avoid selecting any option to remove saved data; if you later regain access or buy the game, compatible existing saves may be usable again.
Can I keep playing a PS Plus catalog game if I disconnect my console from the internet?
Not indefinitely: downloaded catalog games require periodic PSN membership validation. Offline sharing settings can help with eligible content on the designated console, but they do not override a game’s removal from the catalog.
Why does the PlayStation Store say “purchase” when I already have the game?
You may be viewing a different platform version or edition from the one in your library, or be signed in to a profile without the entitlement. Check transaction history and the Game Library’s version selector before purchasing.
Does buying a catalog game restore DLC I purchased for it?
Sony says purchased DLC and add-ons can become usable again when you regain access to the base game, such as by buying it after it leaves the catalog. The DLC alone does not grant a license to play the base game.
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