PlayStation Plus October games draw complaints: what members actually get

PlayStation Plus members will get F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 in October, Sony announced on its PlayStation Blog on September 30. The selection has prompted complaints alongside praise in an r/ps5deals Reddit discussion; members can claim the games from October 6 through November 2.

The practical catch for PS4 players is that only World Brothers 2 supports their console in this selection. F1 25 and Hunt are listed for PS5. All three are membership benefits, with access tied to a PlayStation Plus subscription.

Why the October PlayStation Plus lineup drew complaints

The cited r/ps5deals thread contains several negative assessments of the selection’s appeal. It also includes praise for Hunt, including a qualified defense that distinguishes liking the game from considering it an appealing monthly PlayStation Plus offering. Another participant questions whether World Brothers 2 deserves the criticism.

That is disagreement within one community, with limits to what it tells us. The comments do not establish a subscriber-wide verdict, and the participants’ subscription status is unverified. Nor do they establish that the PS4/PS5 split caused the complaints. The hardware limitation and the negative reactions are separate points.

What F1 25 brings to the lineup

F1 25 is the official game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship. In Sony’s announcement, Adam Michel, senior director of content acquisition and operations, highlights Career and My Team 2.0, which puts players in charge as a Formula One team owner. F1 World also offers a multiplayer mode in which friends race as a squad against AI drivers.

There is independent critical context beyond the reaction to this offer. In a PCGamesN review labelled updated May 28, 2025, Toby Durant awarded F1 25 eight out of 10, praising its handling, track detail and refreshed My Team mode. That assessment predates the October subscription announcement.

Durant described My Team as putting the created avatar in charge of a team with two hired drivers, letting players choose which driver to control at each race. He also criticised Braking Point’s limited difficulty options. Those are specific strengths and limitations from that review, rather than a verdict on the current PS5 version or subscription lineup.

Hunt’s PS5 requirement predates this offer

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is an extraction shooter built around monsters and rival human hunters. Sony describes a loop of tracking bosses, collecting their bounties and fighting to escape. Players can go alone or bring up to two teammates.

Its absence from PS4 has an earlier explanation. In a July 15, 2024 announcement, developer Crytek said Hunt would cease to be playable on PS4 and Xbox One from August 15, 2024, alongside its move to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This month’s offer does not announce a new withdrawal from PS4.

Crytek’s announcement promised existing players a free upgrade to the newer console in their platform family, carrying over purchases and progress. That was part of the historical platform transition, separate from Sony’s October 2026 monthly-game offer.

World Brothers 2 supports PS4 and local co-op

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 uses voxel-style environments and enemies. Players rescue characters, select four collected teammates and choose their equipment. Soldiers from the main EDF games and spin-offs appear alongside returning enemies and new opponents.

Sony lists four-player online co-op and two-player local split-screen on both PS5 and PS4. It is the sole PS4-compatible title among the three announced October games.

When to claim the games, and what membership covers

Before October’s offer starts, members have until Monday, October 5 to add September’s selection: Sniper Elite: Resistance, MLB The Show 26, Wobbly Life and Chained Echoes. October’s three games follow on Tuesday, October 6, with the claim window ending Monday, November 2. Sony warns that the lineup may differ by region and advises checking PlayStation Store on release day.

PlayStation Support describes monthly games as available to download and play at no extra cost during membership. Cancelling does not immediately remove benefits: they continue until the purchased payment period ends. Once the subscription ends, access to monthly games, online storage and online multiplayer ends too.

Sony distinguishes those games from redeemed Plus packs and avatars, and purchases made with a Plus discount, which remain yours to keep. Its announcement also specifies recurring subscription charges until cancellation and age restrictions.

To find monthly games on PS5, Sony directs players to PlayStation Plus, then Benefits, then Monthly Games. On PS4, the route is PlayStation Plus, Monthly Games, then Add to Library and Download. Browser and PlayStation App remote downloads are also supported. This monthly selection is separate from the game catalogs offered through Extra and Premium.