The PC Gamer team has been stalking colleagues all month with threats of dead pixels until they gave up their staff picks for October, which the team has now compiled into a dense calendar of new releases, updates, and sales. It runs from spooky season through the holiday season, offering plenty of titles to keep even the most dedicated player occupied.
Three PC Gamer staff members — Samuel Roberts, Christopher Livingston, and Editor-in-Chief Tyler Wilde — compiled the picks. Their personal tastes shaped the list, which runs from Soulslikes to satirical city builders to Star Wars racing.
Star Wars: Episode I Racer Opens The Month
Steam kicks off its October lineup with Star Wars: Episode I Racer on October 6, and Tyler Wilde says he is not much of a Star Wars fan. What he does love, though, are the 1999 racers and other sci-fi racers from that time, including F-Zero. He is holding out hope that this game delivers the same kind of spectacle that made those titles enjoyable.
Wilde writes “I’m hoping for cool crashes—like 50% of the fun of these things is exploding spectacularly—and I’m curious to know what the ‘run based’ structure entails,”.
Car City Turns Town Into Paradise
After Christopher Livingston’s entry, October 9 brings Car City, a satirical city builder that transforms a walkable town into an automotive paradise. The game asks players to use car-positive propaganda to persuade citizens that their homes should be demolished in favor of towering parking garages.
“There’s nothing more American than cars and this satirical city builder, like so many US cities, centers around them,” Livingston writes.
Valor Mortis Picks A New Lane
On October 13, Samuel Roberts closes out his main picks with Valor Mortis, a first-person Soulslike from the people behind the Ghostrunner games. He admits his interest in Soulslike titles has cooled somewhat lately, but he finds that first-person approaches carry extra appeal, particularly when paired with a setting as distinct as the Napoleonic wars.
“I just hope it’s not too difficult,” Roberts writes.
The Conventions That Mark October
October brings a full calendar of conventions and sales. LudoNarraCon starts its digital showcase of narrative indies on October 8, the same day that PAX Australia resumes its three-day gathering of gaming, cosplay, and panels. The month’s schedule also includes Brasil Game Show, which opens its four-day event in São Paulo on October 9.
The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of League of Legends Worlds begin on October 15. Paris Games Week marks its 15th year with fresh programming kicking off on October 22. Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show comes back for its second four-day run in Bangkok on October 29. Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest wraps up its final stop in Japan on October 31.
“As always, you can grab more Epic Store free games every Thursday, and check out weekly Steam sales for themed deals.”
The sales calendar runs through the month:
- Oct. 1–8: Steam Autumn Sale
- Oct. 12–19: Cooking Fest
- Oct. 19–26: Next Fest (October Edition)
- Oct. 26–Nov. 2: Steam Scream 5 Fest
The October Updates
October is also a month of major updates across several games. Dragon’s Dogma 2 adds more character creator options, additional challenges, and a new storyline when its Dark Arisen expansion heads to the Snowy North on October 9. Enshrouded begins its 1.0 chapter with a major combat overhaul, optimization fixes, QoL changes, and more on October 15.
On October 21, Human will be ready to sail when the Isles of Abyss expansion arrives, adding new ocean regions, floating bases, and a touch of ancient evil. The game Age of Empires 4 will also expand Crucible Mode on October 29, bringing the Vikings and Scots into the mix with its Raiders of the North update.
The survival climbing game Cairn continues to add new destinations for its two main characters, Aava and Marco, with On the Trail: Deep Water, which arrives on October 29. At the same time, the ocean-themed Charting the Unknown update brings new ships, sunken treasures, and deep-sea enemies to the Crimson Desert.
The Overcommitted Writer
A personal note from the writer accompanies the picks, confessing that they have already overbooked their October calendar. They have put Silent Hill: Townfall on their system, yet fear they will not manage to play it before the holidays show up.
The author puts pen to paper, “I was hoping to deck a few monsters in Scotland. Alas,” crafting words into sentences.
The writer has already promised more survival crafting with Enshrouded’s 1.0 update, and they are attempting to find room for MMO nostalgia now that MapleStory Classic has arrived. Final Fantasy Resonance will need to fit into the schedule somehow.
The author puts pen to paper, “My own calendar is already buckling under the weight of this month’s treats, so in the spirit of spooky season, I haunted a few colleagues with threats of dead pixels and ghosting until they shared their staff picks for the month,” crafting each word with care.
The vow is given to bring back a turkey and the world’s most mumbling lead character next month.
The People Behind The Picks
Each contributor comes with their own history. Andrea has spent nearly a decade writing about games, with work appearing at IGN, USA Today, Fanbyte, and Destructoid prior to joining the PC Gamer team in 2025. Her taste leans toward older RPGs, and she will try almost anything that includes a lovey-dovey “I can fix them” romance element.
Every week she sets aside some time for MMO play, chasing achievements and raiding in Final Fantasy 14. Beyond those mainstays, she frequently rotates through a handful of survival-crafting titles and enjoys playing co-op horror games with friends.
Samuel Roberts works as a Senior Editor, while Tyler Wilde holds the role of Editor-in-Chief for the US.
What To Make Of It All
October’s release calendar is overwhelming, and the picks run the full spectrum from horror to gaming nostalgia to fantasy strategy. The PC Gamer team has done the legwork, and the selections show a real mix of preferences.
A fair warning comes from the writer’s own admission of overcommitment. The month of October stretches into a long test rather than a short dash, with the calendar showing no sign of letting up.
Missed releases can be caught up on during the Steam Autumn Sale, which runs Oct. 1–8, or discounted favorites picked up at a reduced price. After that sale ends, Cooking Fest begins on Oct. 12, followed by Next Fest on Oct. 19, with Steam Scream 5 Fest rounding out the month on Oct. 26.
New material keeps coming for players who already own these games, with two separate releases announced. The October 29 update brings four titles into the fold: Once Human, Age of Empires 4, Cairn, and Crimson Desert. Meanwhile, Enshrouded’s 1.0 chapter is set to arrive on October 15.
A variety of conventions combine both digital and physical gatherings. LudoNarraCon exists entirely online, whereas Brasil Game Show, PAX Australia, League of Legends Worlds, Paris Games Week, Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show, and Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest all demand either travel or the use of a screen.
The PC Gamer team has flagged the month’s highlights, and the picks serve only as a starting point rather than a verdict. Readers must decide for themselves which of these fit their own schedules.
Key Dates And Deals
- Star Wars: Episode I Racer — October 6 on Steam
- Car City — October 9 on Steam
- Valor Mortis — October 13 on Steam
- Dragon’s Dogma 2 Dark Arisen — October 9 on Steam
- Enshrouded 1.0 — October 15 on Steam
- Once Human Isles of Abyss — October 21 on Steam
- Age of Empires 4 Raiders of the North — October 29 on Steam
- Cairn On the Trail: Deep Water — October 29 on Steam
- Crimson Desert Charting the Unknown — October 29 on Steam
- Steam Autumn Sale — Oct. 1–8
- Cooking Fest — Oct. 12–19
- Next Fest (October Edition) — Oct. 19–26
- Steam Scream 5 Fest — Oct. 26–Nov. 2
- LudoNarraCon — October 8 (digital)
- Brasil Game Show — four days in São Paulo
- PAX Australia — three days
- League of Legends Worlds — quarterfinals and semifinals on October 15
- Paris Games Week — starting October 22
- Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show — four days in Bangkok
- Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest — October 31, final stop in Japan
October carries its own reasons for notice, separate from the close of the calendar year, and the PC Gamer team has set them apart with care.
Source material: “There are so many games coming out in October you guys,” PC Gamer.
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