September was packed with new releases like Marvel’s Wolverine and Control Resonant, and the wave of must-play new video games isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Next month promises even more exciting new games ahead of the Zelda/GTA one-two punch in November.
From a Star Wars racer to a “kungfupunk” action game, October has a wide variety of new releases for every type of gamer. Here are six upcoming games that PlayStation 5 players will want to wishlist.
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1
Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition
Release date: Oct. 1
Ghost of Yōtei is getting a re-release with the Complete Edition almost a year to the day of its original 2025 launch. The most notable part of the Complete Edition is the Echoes of Sekigahara expansion. It sends Atsu to a new part of Ezo where she hunts down men formerly loyal to the Snake alongside Nagato, a figure from Atsu’s past. Also part of the paid DLC is Most Wanted, a roguelike mode with new playable characters (including Ghost of Tsushima‘s Jin Sakai). A free update (also arriving Oct. 1) will add new tracks for Watanabe Mode and the Beauty of Yōtei mode, which will allow you to take a gander at Ezo’s stunning and relaxing environments.
2
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
Release date: Oct. 2
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve marks the return of the flight-simulation series that’s been quiet since 2019. You lead a squadron of fighter pilots in a fictional war full of intense and adrenaline-pumping dogfights. But the game isn’t all about shooting planes out of the sky; bond with your crew and, as their commander, make decisions that’ll affect the narrative. Ace Combat 8 is already one of the year’s best-reviewed games, with Polygon’s Giovanni Colantonio saying it lands in the “perfect middle ground between simulation and casual arcade action” in his review.
3
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Release date: Oct. 2
Star Wars fans are eating well this year. Not only did the excellent Star Wars Zero Company drop in August, but Star Wars: Galactic Racer is out this week. It’s a roguelike racing game that brings the high-octane arcade racing gameplay of the Burnout series to the world of Star Wars. Not only are vehicles fast, but they’re wildly dangerous; you’re just as likely to finish at the top of a race as you 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,” Polygon’s Giovanni Colantonio wrote in his preview of Galactic Racer.
4
Valor Mortis
Release date: Oct. 13
From the studio behind the Ghostrunner games, Valor Mortis brings a new perspective to Soulslikes. While most of them are third-person action games, Valor Mortis will feature intense, sword-swinging action in first-person. You play as a soldier from Napoleon’s army who’s revived with new supernatural powers. A mysterious plague has made its way through Europe, creating grotesque monsters for you to take down.
5
Anomalith
Release date: Oct. 28
Anomalith looks a bit like if a Resident Evil game were made in a 3D anime style. It’s survival horror crossed with third-person shooting as Anomalith follows the teenager Reona, who’s searching 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.
6
Phantom Blade Zero
Release date: Oct. 29
Phantom Blade Zero director Soulframe Liang describes the action RPG as a “kungfupunk” game, a term he’s coined to reflect its wuxia-meets-steampunk style. Every animation is highly choreographed and motion-captured with wirework stunts to reflect the game’s kung fu cinema inspirations, with movie star Donnie Yen giving it a boost. It follows the assassin Soul, who has 66 days to live, and he uses that remaining time to unravel a conspiracy. He’ll have over 30 primary weapons and over 20 Phantom Edges, unique secondary weapons taken from fallen enemies, at his disposal, and he’ll need every one of them to combat Phantom Blade Zero‘s onslaught of tough bosses.
