PlayStation Plus October 2026: All Essential Games and When to Claim Them

PlayStation Plus members can claim three Essential games from October 6 through November 2, 2026: F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. The first two are for PS5; World Brothers 2 is available on both PS5 and PS4. 156

October 2026 PS Plus games at a glance

• F1 25 — PS5: A Formula One racing game, offering a track-focused option in this month’s mix. 1
• Hunt: Showdown 1896 — PS5: A first-person extraction shooter that pits players hunting monsters against other players. Its horror atmosphere makes it the closest fit for Halloween, but it is still built around competitive extraction gameplay. 14
• Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 — PS5, PS4: A block-styled entry in the Earth Defense Force series, with players battling voxel versions of its enemies. 15

Members across the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers can claim the monthly games. Once claimed, they remain playable while the membership is active. 1012

Why the lineup drew Halloween-season criticism

The three games span racing, competitive shooting and stylized action, but none is a conventional, dedicated horror adventure. That mismatch with October’s Halloween season was a recurring point in coverage of subscriber reactions. Hunt: Showdown 1896 has monsters and a dark setting, yet its extraction-shooter format may not meet the expectations of players looking for a standalone horror game. 111927

There is also a regional difference: a report on Japan’s selection says Hello Neighbor replaces Hunt: Showdown 1896 there. That swap gives Japanese subscribers a stealth-horror game, but it also drew complaints from players who wanted the standard lineup’s Hunt. 20

Last chance for September’s monthly games

September’s Essential games are Sniper Elite: Resistance, MLB The Show 26, Wobbly Life and Chained Echoes. Claim them by October 5; October’s games become available the following day. 322

When to expect the October Extra and Premium update

As of October 2, Sony had not announced October’s separate Extra and Premium catalog lineup. A preview published before the Essential reveal expected an announcement on October 14 and new catalog games on October 20. Those dates were reported expectations, not a confirmed list or official announcement. 8