Description: Sony announced Hunt: Showdown 1896 as an October PS Plus monthly game. Some subscribers first saw only a free Starter Pack; Japan's lineup has another twist.
Check the region of your PlayStation account. Sony's English-language announcement includes Hunt: Showdown 1896 for PS5. Its Japanese announcement lists Hello Neighbor instead. Both lists are official, and Sony warns that monthly games can vary by region.
One game, one pack, same day
On October 6, a Reddit user asked why the free listing was a Starter Pack rather than the Hunt base game. Others had seen similar screens. Sony had announced the PS5 game for its monthly lineup and a separate HorrorFest Starter Pack of in-game items for the same date. The pack requires the base game. You came to hunt monsters; the store handed you the supply bag first.
The English announcement gives an October 6–November 2, 2026 claim window. Japan's official lineup consists of F1 25, Hello Neighbor and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2.
Where to look
Later in the Reddit discussion, a UK subscriber reported claiming the full game through the PS App. Another shared a way to find its standard edition through a browser. Those are individual experiences, not a guarantee for every storefront.
Use your own region's Monthly Games page and select the full PS5 game, not the Starter Pack. If your account belongs to Japan, Hello Neighbor is the announced October offer. The real puzzle was the store menu.
Sources（2026-10-13）：
- https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/30/playstation-plus-monthly-games-for-october-f1-25-hunt-showdown-1896-earth-defense-force-world-brothers-2/
- https://blog.ja.playstation.com/2026/10/01/20261001-psplus-freeplay-o/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayStationPlus/comments/1wyyacd/problems_with_new_plus_games/
