October's PS Plus: F1 25 and Hunt: Showdown 1896 lead the competitive grid

PlayStation has its October 2026 lineup ready, and it comes with a Formula 1 engine under the hood. As reported by Gamereactor Spain, F1 25 will headline the monthly PlayStation Plus catalog, joined by Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. Three very different games that you can add to your library from October 6 until November 2.

Why does this matter to us at Underworld Lordz? Because this isn't a filler lineup. There's an officially licensed sim that demands pinpoint precision, an extraction shooter where every match is a constant tense standoff against other players, and a lighthearted co-op game to wrap up the night with the squad. Whether you compete or create content, October brings plenty of material to train, experiment and record with.

What you need to know

• Dates: all three games can be claimed from October 6 to November 2.
• F1 25 is PS5 only, with every official team and driver from the 2025 Formula 1 season.
• Hunt: Showdown 1896 is also PS5-exclusive in this offer.
• Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is available on both PS5 and PS4.
• On top of the games, subscribers will also get extra Halloween-themed content.

What each game brings

F1 25: full license and modes for everyone

F1 25's pitch is simple: the entire official grid from the 2025 season. On top of that, there's a career mode, the single-player My Team 2.0 system, where you run your own team, and the F1 World multiplayer mode, where players team up to race against AI-controlled drivers. In other words, there's something for those who want a long solo experience and for those who'd rather hit the track with friends.

Hunt: Showdown 1896: hunt without being hunted

This is where things get tense. The goal is to take down monsters, but the real danger is the other hunters roaming the same map with the same idea. And winning the fight isn't enough: you have to make it out of the swamps alive. That mix of PvE, PvP and extraction forces you to think through every move, manage your sound and communicate well with your team.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2: blocky co-op chaos

The third title brings together heroes from across the Earth Defense Force series to take on giant enemies, all with a blocky art style. It's the lightest game of the bunch and the only one that also comes to PS4, which considerably widens who can play it.

Our take

The newsroom is in full agreement: Hunt: Showdown 1896 is the gem of the month for a team like ours. Extraction games reward exactly what we look for in any competitive player: map awareness, risk management, disciplined comms and staying cool when the sound of your footsteps gives you away. Its arrival on PS Plus means a lot of new players will jump in at the same time, which usually means full servers, varied matches and a great opportunity to gauge the squad's level.

We're a bit more critical of F1 25. The full license is a huge draw and the career mode offers plenty of hours, but it stands out to us that the headline multiplayer mode, F1 World, focuses on competing as a team against the AI. For those looking for real rivalries, the fun will still be in racing against other people. Even so, as a tool for practicing racing lines, consistency and race management, it's a gift no motorsport fan should pass up. And for content creators, the official grid always makes for great videos and streams.

World Brothers 2 isn't going to change anyone's competitive scene, and it doesn't try to. But it's exactly the kind of game that builds community: nights full of laughs, ridiculous clips and pressure-free matches. The fact that it also runs on PS4 is a nice touch we appreciate, since not everyone has made the jump to PS5. Overall, it's a balanced month, with a clear favorite for those who live for competition and options for everyone else.

What do you think?

You have from October 6 to November 2 to claim all three games, so don't leave it until the last day. Now it's your turn: are you going to squad up in Hunt: Showdown 1896, lock yourself away running your team in F1 25, or do you prefer the chaos of World Brothers 2? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord, because we want to know which of the three you're picking.