PlayStation Plus October lineup: F1 25 leads a strong batch for competitive players

October arrives with the smell of fuel and gunpowder for PlayStation Plus subscribers. As reported by Vandal, Sony has already released this month's games for every tier of the service (Essential, Extra and Premium), and the lineup is headlined by F1 25, the official Formula 1 game that launched last year. It's joined by Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, in a selection that mixes racing, extraction and co-op action.

Why does this matter to us at Underworld Lordz? Because it's not every day that such a recent title with such a clear competitive side lands on the most basic tier of the subscription. For a large part of our community, on both sides of the Atlantic, this means getting into a racing sim with an active online scene and a shooter built around player-versus-player combat without paying anything extra. And for content creators, it's an interesting opportunity: thousands of people get the same game on the same day, and that drives curiosity, searches and conversation.

What you need to know

• Three games for every PS Plus tier: F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2.
• They're available now and you can claim them until November 3, when they'll be replaced by the next batch.
• F1 25 and Hunt: Showdown 1896 are offered on PS5 only; Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is available on PS5 and PS4.
• As always, the games stay linked to your account as long as your subscription remains active.

October's lineup, game by game

The main attraction is F1 25. Vandal sums it up as the championship's official game, recreating the world championship with its drivers and circuits from the corresponding season, plus the Braking Point 3 mode, which continues the Konnersport story. The outlet also points out that its own review of the game is available for anyone who wants to dig deeper before downloading.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 brings the extraction element, a genre that demands patience, map awareness and plenty of coordination when you play as a team. Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, meanwhile, rounds out the batch with co-op action that's more about having a good time with friends than grinding it out in ranked.

Who it affects and how it works

The big news is that you don't need one of the pricier tiers: Essential is enough. That said, don't confuse claiming with owning. If you add the games to your library before November 3, they'll stay there as long as you keep paying for the service; if you cancel, you lose access. And if you're still playing on PS4, the platform split leaves you with just one playable title out of the three, something that won't go down well with part of the Latin American community, where the previous generation is still very much alive.

Our take

In the newsroom, we think this is one of the most appealing lineups of the year for competitive players. F1 25 on Essential is a gift for anyone who always wanted to get into online racing but never felt like paying full price for a yearly release. Now, let's be honest: in a series that gets a new entry every season, the clock is ticking. If you want to make the most of its online side or set up a league with your crew, the sooner you start, the better.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is, for us, the hidden gem. Extraction shooters reward teamwork and punish solo play, exactly the kind of experience that suits a team. For creators, the flood of new players opens the door to beginner guides, clips of tense matches and live challenges. Earth Defense Force, on the other hand, we see as fun filler content: great for a laid-back stream, not much more.

Our criticism is aimed at the model itself. These games aren't yours: they're a rental tied to a subscription fee. For anyone building a community or content around a title, relying on a subscription is a risk worth keeping in mind. And the platform split once again makes it clear that PS4 is being increasingly sidelined.

What do you think?

We want to know whether you're going to give any of these games a shot or if they were already on your radar. If enough people are interested, we might set up an internal F1 25 league or some Hunt nights with the team. Which of the three do you think is the best signing of the month, and would you be up for competing with us? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord.