PlayStation Plus Officially Drops 3 New Free Games You Can Download Now

Published Oct 6, 2026, 12:47 PM EDT

Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2020 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more.

In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the Dragon Quest FM podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now.

He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on BlueSky, X, and at Dragonquestaustin.com

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It's a new month, which means PlayStation Plus will be adding new games across the different tiers of its subscription service. While Extra and Premium members may have to wait a bit longer to see games specifically tied to them being added to PS Plus, October 2026's Essential games are already known. And if you've got an active membership, you can start downloading the new batch of games right now.

This month's haul includes F1 25 and Hunt: Showdown 1896 on PlayStation 5. Both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 owners will get access to Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. All three games are available starting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. A fourth game, Mycopunk, has been confirmed as a day-one release for Extra and Premium members a bit later in the month, beginning on October 20.

3 F1 25 - PS5

The first game up for grabs is the headliner, F1 25. It released to "Very Positive" reviews on Steam and has solid user scores on other platforms as well. This is a racing simulator that also serves as the official video game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship. As with other sports games, you can play solo thanks to modes like Career and My Team, but you can also race against other players online, which adds a lot of replay value to F1 25.

This also features a new multiplayer mode called F1 World, which allows players and their friends to race as a squad against AI drivers. And, of course, if you'd simply like to become the owner of a Formula 1 team, then you can immerse yourself inside My Team 2.0, with its revamped systems.

2 Hunt: Showdown 1896 - PS5

Hunt: Showdown 1896 brings the well-known extraction shooter back in time, as you take on the role of a Hunter and chase after a Bounty near the end of the 19th century. The PvP content is often cited as bold and bloody, and the game comes to PlayStation Plus Essential just in time to take on a brand-new boss for Halloween, which probably increases the blood factor by a ton.

You'll race against other players to take down bosses and claim their bounties, but you'll also have to find against other Hunters for extraction to keep your goods (and your life). If you're looking for a free PS Plus game that has some spooky vibes this Halloween season, then consider giving Hunt: Showdown 1896 a try on PS5 now that it's been added to the service.

1 Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 - PS4/PS5

The PlayStation Plus Essential game for both PS4 and PS5 in October is Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. You can create your own squad from 4 teammates, select your equipment and design your team, then deploy them for combat. This entry includes soldiers from the mainline Earth Defense Force series.

However, you can also choose soldiers from the spin-offs — all while fighting against waves of enemies and trying to rescue your comrades from giant space monsters. You can enjoy Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 with local split-screen, or you can play up to four-player co-op online.

All the games included in October's PlayStation Plus Essential tier are available to download for free to members until Monday, November 2, 2026. Even if you aren't going to play these right away, add them to your library so you can check them out at a later time. As long as you have an active PS Plus membership, you'll be able to play them.