The PS Plus October 2026 monthly games are F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. You can add them to your library from October 6 to November 2, 2026 with any PlayStation Plus tier, including Essential. Before that, you have until October 5 to claim September’s four games.
Here’s everything you need: the full lineup, what each game is like, the claim dates, the bonus HorrorFest packs, and whether a higher tier is worth it this month.
| Key fact | Details |
|---|---|
| October monthly games | F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 |
| Claim window | October 6 to November 2, 2026 |
| Tiers that get them | Essential, Extra and Premium |
| September games leave | After Monday, October 5 |
| Extra and Premium catalog reveal | October 14 |
| Bonus extras | HorrorFest packs and Spider-Man avatars |
PS Plus October 2026 Lineup at a Glance
Sony’s October picks cover three very different moods: a polished racing sim, a tense multiplayer shooter and a chaotic co-op party game.
| Game | Platforms | Genre | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 25 | PS5 | Racing sim | Solo, online squads |
| Hunt: Showdown 1896 | PS5 | Extraction shooter | Solo or teams of up to 3 |
| Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 | PS5, PS4 | Co-op action shooter | 4 online, 2 split-screen |
Note that two of the three games are PS5-only. If you’re still on a PS4, only Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 will run on your console. You can still claim the PS5 games now and play them later if you upgrade.
F1 25: Run Your Own Formula One Team
F1 25 is the official game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship. It includes the real teams and drivers from that season.
There’s plenty here for solo players:
- Career mode, where you race your way up through a season
- My Team 2.0, where you run a Formula One team as its owner
- F1 World, which adds squad-based multiplayer where you and friends race together against AI drivers
If you like management as much as racing, My Team 2.0 is the standout. It’s the kind of game that can keep you busy for weeks.
Who it’s for: racing fans, sim players and anyone who enjoys team-building and long career modes.
Hunt: Showdown 1896: High-Stakes Monster Hunting
Hunt: Showdown 1896 is an extraction shooter. You enter a monster-infested swamp, track down a boss, claim the bounty, and then try to escape alive.
The twist is that other players are hunting the same bounty. You can go solo or in a team of up to three, and every match feels tense because one mistake can cost you everything you’re carrying.
It’s described as unforgiving, and that’s fair. Expect a learning curve, but also some of the most memorable firefights on PS5.
Who it’s for: players who like tactical shooters, horror atmosphere and high-risk, high-reward matches.
Bonus: a free Hunt starter pack
As part of PlayStation’s HorrorFest celebration, PS Plus members can also grab a Hunt: Showdown 1896 Starter Pack from October 6. It pairs nicely with the free game.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2: Blocky Co-op Chaos
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a lighter, sillier pick. A blocky, voxel-style Earth is under attack from giant enemies, and you rescue soldiers around the world to build your squad.
You choose four rescued soldiers, pick their gear, and fight huge redesigned enemies from the main EDF series, plus some new ones.
The best part is co-op. It supports four-player online co-op and two-player local split-screen, which is rare these days.
Who it’s for: friends, families and anyone who wants a relaxed couch co-op game.
Which October Game Should You Play First?
You can claim all three, but your time isn’t unlimited. Here’s a simple way to choose where to start:
| If you want… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A long solo game | F1 25 | Career and My Team 2.0 offer many hours of single-player content |
| Tense online matches | Hunt: Showdown 1896 | Every round is a high-stakes hunt against other players |
| Couch co-op with family | Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 | Two-player split-screen on one console |
| Something for PS4 | Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 | The only October game that runs on PS4 |
Tips for getting the most from this month
- F1 25: turn on driving assists while you learn the tracks, then switch them off as you improve. It makes the early hours much less frustrating.
- Hunt: Showdown 1896: team up with friends if you can. Playing solo is possible, but a trio can cover each other and recover from mistakes.
- Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2: try different soldier combinations. Mixing roles in your squad of four makes the big fights easier.
When Can You Claim the PS Plus October 2026 Games?
Timing is everything with monthly games. If you miss the window, you’ll have to buy the game to play it.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| October 1 | Call of Duty: Warzone Horror Bundle available |
| October 5 | Last day to claim September 2026 games |
| October 6 | October monthly games go live; Hunt starter pack and Spider-Man avatars arrive |
| October 7 | Overwatch Draugr Reinhardt pack available |
| October 14 | Extra and Premium October catalog announced |
| October 20 | Last day to claim Spider-Man: Brand New Day avatars |
| November 2 | Last day to claim October monthly games |
Last Chance: September 2026 Games Leaving
Before you get excited about October, check that you’ve claimed September’s lineup. These four games leave the monthly offer after Monday, October 5:
| September game | Platforms |
|---|---|
| Sniper Elite: Resistance | PS5, PS4 |
| MLB The Show 26 | PS5 |
| Wobbly Life | PS5, PS4 |
| Chained Echoes | PS4 |
Once you add a game to your library, it stays there for as long as you keep an active PS Plus membership.
How to Claim Your Free PS Plus Games
Claiming is quick, and you don’t need to download anything to keep a game. Adding it to your library is enough. Here’s how:
- Turn on your PS5 and sign in to the account that has PS Plus.
- Open the PlayStation Plus section from the Game Library or PlayStation Store.
- Find the monthly games for October.
- Select each game and choose Add to Library.
- Download now, or later whenever you want to play.
You can also add the games to your library from a web browser or the PlayStation App, even when you’re away from your console.
HorrorFest Packs and Spider-Man Avatars
October also brings some free extras for members. You’ll need the base game for each pack.
| Bonus | What you get | Available from |
|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Warzone Horror Bundle | Horror-themed in-game items | October 1 |
| Hunt: Showdown 1896 Starter Pack | In-game items for Hunt | October 6 |
| Overwatch Draugr Reinhardt pack | Draugr Reinhardt skin plus 5 tier skips | October 7 |
| Spider-Man: Brand New Day avatars | Profile avatars via Sony Pictures Core | October 6 to 20 |
The Spider-Man avatars are only free for a short time and in supported regions, so grab them early.
If you’re into spooky games this season, our breakdown of Control Resonant’s price, platforms and length is worth a look too.
PS Plus Tiers and Prices in the US
All three tiers get the October monthly games. The higher tiers add large game catalogs on top.
| Tier | 1 month | 3 months | 12 months | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $10.99 | $27.99 | $79.99 | Monthly games, online multiplayer, discounts, cloud saves |
| Extra | $16.99 | $43.99 | $134.99 | Everything in Essential, plus the Game Catalog and Ubisoft+ Classics |
| Premium | $19.99 | $54.99 | $159.99 | Everything in Extra, plus Classics, Game Trials, cloud streaming and Sony Pictures movies |
The 12-month plans are the best value. Sony says the yearly Premium plan saves you about 33% compared with paying monthly for a year.
Subscriptions are one more cost to watch as tech prices keep rising, a trend we also saw in our report on why iPads and Macs are getting more expensive.
What If You Miss the Claim Window?
If you don’t add a monthly game to your library by November 2, it won’t be free anymore. You’d need to buy it from the PlayStation Store or wait to see if it ever joins the Extra catalog.
That’s why it’s a good habit to claim every monthly game, even ones you aren’t sure about. It costs nothing, takes seconds, and keeps your options open if you change your mind later.
The same rule applies to September’s games. After October 5, Sniper Elite: Resistance, MLB The Show 26, Wobbly Life and Chained Echoes drop out of the free offer.
Is PS Plus Worth It in October 2026?
For Essential members, this is a solid month. F1 25 and Hunt: Showdown 1896 are both full-sized games, and EDF World Brothers 2 adds a fun co-op option.
Should you upgrade to Extra or Premium? It’s best to wait. Sony will reveal the October Game Catalog on October 14, so you can see the new additions before you pay more.
Here’s a quick way to decide:
- Stick with Essential if you mainly play online and like the monthly games.
- Consider Extra if you want hundreds of games to try without buying them.
- Consider Premium if you want game trials, cloud streaming or classic games.
If you like gaming beyond the console, you might also enjoy our comparison of Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3 for VR.
The Bottom Line
The PS Plus October 2026 lineup gives you a big racing sim, a tense extraction shooter and an easygoing co-op game. Claim F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 between October 6 and November 2, and don’t forget to grab September’s games before October 5.
Source: PlayStation’s official PS Plus page.
Quick Answers About PS Plus This Month
The October monthly games are F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. They’re included with Essential, Extra and Premium.
They’re available from October 6 until November 2, 2026. Add them to your library during that window to keep them.
Only Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 runs on PS4. F1 25 and Hunt: Showdown 1896 are PS5-only.
September’s games leave after Monday, October 5. That includes Sniper Elite: Resistance, MLB The Show 26, Wobbly Life and Chained Echoes.
Sony plans to announce the October Game Catalog for Extra and Premium on October 14.
Essential is $10.99 a month or $79.99 a year, Extra is $16.99 or $134.99, and Premium is $19.99 or $159.99.
The games stay in your library, but you can only play them while you have an active PS Plus membership.
