October is shaping up to be a big month for PS5 owners. Six new games are releasing across the month, and Polygon has rounded up the ones worth wishing for.
The list runs from a Star Wars racer to a steampunk action game, with actual release dates attached. Here is what PlayStation 5 players should keep an eye on.
Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition
The Complete Edition arrives Oct. 1, almost a year to the day after the game’s original 2025 launch. The biggest addition is the Echoes of Sekigahara expansion, which sends protagonist Atsu to a new part of Ezo to hunt down men formerly loyal to the Snake alongside Nagato, a figure from Atsu’s past.
The paid DLC also includes Most Wanted, a roguelike mode with new playable characters, including Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai. A free update arrives the same day, adding new tracks for Watanabe Mode and the Beauty of Yōtei mode, letting players wander Ezo’s stunning and relaxing environments.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
Ace Combat 8 marks the return of the flight-simulation series after it went quiet since 2019. Players lead a squadron of fighter pilots through a fictional war full of intense dogfights. But the game is not all about shooting planes out of the sky.
Players bond with their crew and make decisions as commander that affect the narrative. Polygon’s Giovanni Colantonio called it “the perfect middle ground between simulation and casual arcade action” in his review, making it one of the year’s best-reviewed titles.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Star Wars fans have had a strong year. The excellent Star Wars Zero Company dropped in August, and now Star Wars: Galactic Racer is out this week. It is a roguelike racing game that brings the high-octane arcade racing of the Burnout series to the galaxy far, far away.
The vehicles are fast and wildly dangerous. Players are just as likely to finish at the top of a race as they are to crash and burn. “The races are exciting, the tracks are terrific, and there are plenty of Star Wars touches that fans of the series can nerd out over,” Colantonio wrote in his preview.
Valor Mortis
Valor Mortis comes from the studio behind the Ghostrunner games. It brings a new perspective to the Soulslike genre. While most of them are third-person action games, Valor Mortis features intense, sword-swinging action in first-person.
Players take on the role of a soldier from Napoleon’s army revived with new supernatural powers. A mysterious plague has spread through Europe, creating grotesque monsters for players to take down. The game releases Oct. 13.
Anomalith
Anomalith looks a bit like a Resident Evil game made in 3D anime style. It is survival horror crossed with third-person shooting, following teenager Reona as she searches through mysterious Anomaly Zones for her missing friend.
Those Zones are filled with gross creatures just waiting to get shot in the face. Reona also has monstrous powers of her own to give her an edge in combat. The game releases Oct. 28.
Phantom Blade Zero
Phantom Blade Zero director Soulframe Liang describes the action RPG as a “kungfupunk” game, a term he coined to reflect its wuxia-meets-steampunk style. Every animation is highly choreographed and motion-captured with wirework stunts, reflecting the game’s kung fu cinema inspirations.
Movie star Donnie Yen gives the game a boost. The story follows the assassin Soul, who has 66 days to live, and he uses that remaining time to unravel a conspiracy. He has over 30 primary weapons and over 20 Phantom Edges, unique secondary weapons taken from fallen enemies, at his disposal. The game releases Oct. 29.
“The races are exciting, the tracks are terrific, and there are plenty of Star Wars touches that fans of the series can nerd out over.”
What to Watch
The month is dense. Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition starts the week, followed by Ace Combat 8 on Oct. 2. Star Wars: Galactic Racer is out this week, and the other three games stretch across the back half of the month.
| Game | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition | Oct. 1 |
| Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve | Oct. 2 |
| Star Wars: Galactic Racer | Oct. 2 |
| Valor Mortis | Oct. 13 |
| Anomalith | Oct. 28 |
| Phantom Blade Zero | Oct. 29 |
The list covers a wide variety of genres. A Star Wars racer, a flight simulator, a Soulslike, a survival-horror shooter, and a steampunk action game all fit into the mix.
The games are also spread across the month.
Polygon’s wish list newsletter is a good way to keep track of all six. It is a weekly cheat sheet to what readers will eventually love to play, with no buying and no commitment — just saving for later.
The standout here is Ace Combat 8. Colantonio’s review describes it as landing in the “perfect middle ground between simulation and casual arcade action.” That suggests the game appeals to both serious sim fans and newcomers.
The Star Wars racer also stands out for sheer spectacle. The Burnout-inspired chaos, combined with Star Wars touches, is a strong draw for fans of the franchise.
October is a strong month for PS5 owners. The games are diverse, the release dates are clear, and the reviews are promising.
Source material: “6 PS5 Games Releasing in October You Officially Cannot Miss,” Polygon.
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