PlayStation Plus Drops 10 New Free Downloads Following Disappointing October Lineup

Published Oct 2, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Ewan is Deputy Editor for ScreenRant's gaming section. He still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase, and knows more about The Legend of Zelda and Doctor Who than is probably healthy.

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Earlier this week, Sony officially announced the PlayStation Plus Essential free games lineup for October 2026, and it's fair to say it didn't exactly go down brilliantly. In case you missed it, from October 6, PS Plus Essential subscribers will have access to the following games: F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. I wouldn't say any of these are particularly bad games, but as a Halloween lineup? PlayStation usually does much better.

That's the overwhelming consensus, at least. On social media, gamers who aren't slamming PlayStation for its stance on physical games are lining up to call this one of the worst months of PlayStation Plus ever.

"Might be the weakest PS+ essential month in a looong time," writes one frustrated fan.

Another adds: "The more time passes, the more I don’t regret canceling my PS+. What even is this lineup?!"

Fortunately, PS Plus subscribers can look forward to a few other October treats to hopefully quell the disappointment of the free games being offered.

As of right now, PlayStation Plus can download seven extra freebies, with three more on the way. These come via exclusive packs that contain special cosmetics for select games. Not as exciting as a free game, I agree, but we take what we can get. You can currently claim the following:

• PS+ subscriber GOALS player pack
• PlayStation 5 Yu-Gi-Oh! MASTER DUEL Pack Ticket 50
• PlayStation 4 Yu-Gi-Oh! MASTER DUEL Pack Ticket 50
• Path of Exile: Bundle 25 - PlayStation Plus
• FINAL FANTASY XIV - PlayStation Plus Reward: Aetheryte Additional Free Destination (Oct - Dec)
• Tanki Online: Exclusive Reward
• Call of Duty: Warzone Horror Bundle

However, there's even more to come, you greedy Halloween goblins. As part of the PlayStation Plus Horror Fest, you can download a special bonus freebie for Essential free game Hunt: Showndown 1896. We're not sure what's actually in the Hunt: Showdown 1896 Starter Pack, but we'll find out when it drops on October 6.

Then, on October 7, you can grab the Overwatch 2 Dragur Reinhardt + 5 Tier Skips Pack. These two packs, along with the Warzone Horror Bundle, form PlayStation Plus Horror Fest. I'd have preferred a Resident Evil game, but whatever. This is fine too, I guess.

Finally, PlayStation Plus subscribers will also be able to grab a selection of limited-edition avatars inspired by Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If you were crying out for a Ned Leeds avatar, this is basically the best day of your life.