Every PlayStation Plus Free Game for October 2026, Explained

The PlayStation Plus Essential game lineup for October 2026 is not the most festive collection PlayStation has ever put together; it has only one game that could only very loosely be considered horror. The other two are decidedly not scary, although are stressful in their own ways. These three titles are Hunt: Showdown 1896, F1 25, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, all of which will be available for subscribers of all tiers to redeem from October 6th to November 2nd.

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These are all relatively niche titles, so here’s an explainer on all three of these PS Plus Essential October 2026 games going over what they are, how they were received, and how they have been supported since launch.

3) Hunt: Showdown 1896

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a hardcore first-person extraction shooter that mixes supernatural witchcraft with old timey weapons. It was originally released in 2019 as the now-delisted Hunt: Showdown and was met with broadly positive reviews. While both its original title and new one have different review aggregate scores, both were warmly received, coming in at a 78 and 80, respectively.

There are many descriptors to throw on Hunt: Showdown 1896 — and some of them can be applied to other games — but there aren’t any games exactly like it. This extraction shooter is all about tracking and hunting a big creepy monster that can vary, all while dealing with other humans and the local wildlife. It’s a slow process that incentivizes careful play and paying attention.

Sound design is absolutely sublime and incredibly detailed, allowing for astute players to be able to pinpoint others by small movements or loud gunfire. Death is punishing, as players will lose their current character and all of the gear and stats they had equipped. It’s a cycle and about getting more powerful to become better at hunting, so it only makes sense for dying to be so impactful. It may be frustrating to lose a powerful hunter, but it adds to the tension and the game’s appeal. There are a few other modes — a faster one with no looming creature and a 15-minute battle royale — but the main Bounty Hunt is its signature one.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 has seen many changes over the years, both in the form of free updates and paid DLC. After early access, Crytek added various features like better onboarding, the ability to play with random people, new weapons, user interface improvements, measures to stop camping, a better death screen and lobby, enemy variants, additional times of day, dual wielding, PVE modes, weapon variants, additional looting options, custom ammo, new bosses, skill-based matchmaking, additional maps, more accessibility options, the ability to reconnect after disconnecting, a ping limit, new consumables, a shooting range, an event based on Post Malone, and an absolute ton of bug fixes and balance changes. Most of these changes were when it was known as Hunt: Showdown, but some of them — like improved visuals and performance — came as a part of its Hunt: Showdown 1896 rebrand.

There is an absolute ton of premium DLC; it literally takes up six pages on the PlayStation Store. The vast majority of these packs add new hunters to the game, while a few of them only contain weapons. One of these hunters is also Ghost Face, but technically, due to rights regarding the iconic mask and the Scream film series being different, it’s not the same character from those meta horror movies.

2) F1 25

F1 25 is the latest in a long line of F1 racing games. It came out in 2025 to solid reviews and earned an average score of 80.

Being yet another Codemasters racing game means this one is quite predictable, but that’s not always a bad thing. It has respectable racing fundamentals that put players behind the wheel of a machine that can easily reach over 200 miles per hour. The MyTeam mode and management options are also a little deeper this year, with the former receiving a necessary refresh and the latter having more options to weigh. The cast from the 2025 F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and Javier Bardem is also in the game, but some of their parts are exclusive to the Iconic Edition. It also continues the Breaking Point story mode from prior games. With its array of modes and a quality foundation, F1 25 is a strong showing, even if it isn’t revolutionary.

Codemasters has supported the game with both free updates and premium DLC. The studio has added some Scenario events, a Survival challenge, slower progression in Career modes, various cosmetics, Elimination mode, updated AI drivers, and more. Some of these additions, though, have been limited-time events, so their availability may vary.

There are only three pieces of DLC. The Season Pack includes new teams, cars, and drive lineups, as well as another track. The Iconic Edition has the Lewis Hamilton Iconic Pack, F1 World Bumper Pack, and 18,000 PitCoins. And F1 The Movie – Chapter Scenarios has playable scenes from the 2025 movie.

1) Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is another installment in the long-running budget cooperative-focused, bug-shooting franchise. Its quirks were enjoyed by many, given its final review average of 78.

This is another relatively mindless cooperative shooter focused on action and shooting large enemies, which are often bugs. It’s an EDF game at the end of the day, so this isn’t unexpected. However, this version has a voxel-heavy visual aesthetic, presumably to give it an appeal to younger players. Switching between new (sometimes stereotypical) characters on the fly is a semi-novel gimmick, but it doesn’t do much to distract from how much of a gonzo yet straightforward shooter it is. This is a low-budget game, and it, like other entries in the services, revels in it.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 hasn’t seen much free support, but has received a fair bit of paid DLC. Developer Yuke’s is selling skins, characters, and a mission pack, all for a few bucks each. There are a few DLC weapon packs that are free, though.

What PlayStation Plus Essential game for October looks the best to you? Shoot us a comment and tell us why.