Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for October 2026?

Image: Push Square

Oh boy, this could be one of the most brutal PS Plus polls this website has hosted in quite some time.

Without wanting to sound mean, I’m not sure October’s PS Plus Essential lineup has much mass appeal.

Case in point: EA Sports F1 25 has been billed as the big deal — but as is always the case with sports games, you either like the sport in question, or you don’t.

To be fair, it’s a solid racing sim. If you’ve got even a slight interest in F1, it’s worth a shot. But again, it isn’t what anyone would call headline material — and in the spookiest month of the year, no less.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a similar story, but for different reasons. It’s a multiplayer extraction shooter — developed by Crysis studio Crytek — and that fact alone is going to put some subscribers off without a second thought.

It’s been a popular pick for almost a decade, though, and it’s got an impressively gloomy atmosphere. Get a couple of pals together and you might have some fun.

And finally, we’ve got Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. This is a block-based Earth Defense Force spin-off, but it retains the chaos of the main series, pitting you against hordes of alien invaders across a massive stage-driven campaign.

Okay, so we already know EDF isn’t for everyone, but I’d personally encourage people to check it out because it’s a bloody good laugh — especially in co-op.

But what do you think of October’s offering? As per usual, vote in our polls, and then explain yourself in the comments section below.

Are you happy with your PS Plus Essential games for October 2026? (946 votes)
Yes, very happy2%Yeah, mostly happy5%Meh, they’re okay10%Nah, they’re disappointing21%No, it’s a crap selection58%I don’t have PS Plus3%

Which PS Plus Essential game for October 2026 are you most looking forward to? (837 votes)
EA Sports F1 2512%Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 26%Hunt: Showdown 18968%None of them, to be honest71%I don’t have PS Plus4%

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Robert (or Rob if you’re lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he’s played ’em all. A little too much, some might say.