PlayStation's free monthly games for October 2026 are now live on the PS Store, and this month's lineup punches well above the usual Essential tier expectations. The headliner is F1 25, but the real talking point for longtime PlayStation fans is the inclusion of Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, two games with roots firmly planted in the PS4 era that are now free to add to your library.
Games go live at noon local time as the PS Store updates, so depending on your region you may already be able to grab them. Japan and Asia got access first, with the rest of the world following on October 6.
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What's actually in the October lineup
F1 25 anchors the month as the PS5-exclusive offering. It's the official game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship and brings back the popular My Team 2.0 mode, letting players build and run their own F1 outfit from the owner's seat. It's a strong pick for racing fans who haven't jumped on the series yet.
Here's the thing: the two titles that will resonate most with PS4 veterans are Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. Hunt: Showdown 1896 is Crytek's extraction shooter set in a gothic, monster-infested Louisiana bayou. It launched on PS4 back in 2020 and built a dedicated following around its high-stakes, one-life gameplay loop where you're hunting supernatural bounties while other players hunt you. The 1896 update brought a significant visual and gameplay overhaul, but the soul of the original PS4 experience is intact.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is the follow-up to the blocky, voxel-style spin-off that launched during the PS4 generation. It keeps the series' signature chaotic co-op energy, pitting a four-person squad against waves of giant insects and alien invaders across a square-shaped Earth. It supports both PS5 and PS4, making it one of the more accessible picks in the lineup.
September's games are still claimable, but not for long
If you haven't grabbed September's free games yet, the clock is running out. That lineup includes MLB: The Show 26, Sniper Elite: Resistance, Chained Echoes, and Wobbly Life. Once October's games go fully live in your region, September's titles drop off the free claim list permanently.
Chained Echoes in particular is worth grabbing before it disappears. The JRPG drew strong comparisons to the best of the 16-bit era and has been one of the more talked-about Essential additions in recent memory.
How this stacks up for Essential subscribers
PS Plus Essential has had a mixed track record in 2026, with some months leaning heavily on smaller indie titles. October bucks that trend. F1 25 retails for around $70 and Hunt: Showdown 1896, while technically free-to-play now, still carries paid content that signals Crytek's ongoing investment in the game. Getting both in a single month alongside a co-op title like Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 gives the lineup genuine variety.
For players looking to stretch their PlayStation freebies further, there are other ways to grab no-cost content on PSN right now. The Saros free PSN avatars guide walks through how to claim 6 free Saros avatars using region-specific codes, and if you're on PC or console and own a copy of The Witcher 3, the Witcher 3 Remastered free upgrade guide covers exactly how to claim the next-gen version at no extra cost.
October's Essential lineup is available to claim through the end of the month. For more ways to get the most out of your PlayStation subscription, the guides hub has you covered on free content, loyalty rewards, and platform upgrades across every major title.
