Sony announced the October PlayStation Plus Game Catalog on October 14, 2026, and it leads with Mafia: The Old Country and the return of Horizon Forbidden West, both playable from October 20. Also in this roundup: Microsoft's smallest controller yet, the $49.99 Xbox Nano; Riot ending League of Legends' Classic mode on January 6, 2027; a free Monster Hunter Wilds demo on Switch 2 from October 19; a Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Expansion Pass; and a Switch 2 release date for 007 First Light.
Mafia: The Old Country and Horizon Forbidden West join PS Plus on October 20
The October 14 PlayStation Blog post lists this month's additions to the Game Catalog. Unless a game has its own date, the lineup is playable from October 20.
What's coming, and when:
- Out now (Extra and Premium): The Midnight Walk (PS5), a clay-animated dark fantasy adventure you can also play in VR with PS VR2. It arrived October 14 in the US.
- October 20 (Extra and Premium): Mafia: The Old Country (PS5), Horizon Forbidden West (PS5, PS4), which Sony marks as a re-release, and Mycopunk (PS5), a four-player co-op shooter that launches straight into the catalog.
- October 20 (Premium only): Dino Crisis 2 and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition, both on PS5 and PS4, plus Game Trials of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy and Mortal Shell II.
- October 27 (Extra and Premium): Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 (PS5, PS4), Tales of Arise - Beyond the Dawn Edition (PS5, PS4) and Monster Energy Supercross 25 (PS5).
- How to get them: the Game Catalog comes with the Extra and Premium tiers of PlayStation Plus. Sony notes that lineups can differ by region.
Our take: Mafia: The Old Country is the headline for anyone who passed on buying it. If you missed Horizon Forbidden West the first time it was in the catalog, here is a second chance.
Microsoft's $49.99 Xbox Nano Controller is up for pre-order
Xbox announced the Xbox Nano Controller on October 14. It is a little over 5 inches long and weighs 3.5 ounces, which makes it Microsoft's smallest controller, yet it keeps all 18 standard gameplay inputs. Microsoft pitches it at younger players, smaller hands and play on the go.
What it means for you:
- Price: $49.99.
- When: pre-orders opened October 14, and it goes on sale beginning in November in the US and 35 other markets. Microsoft has not given an exact day.
- Works with: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PCs, Android and iOS, plus compatible smart TVs, over Xbox Wireless or Bluetooth, according to the Xbox.com product page.
- Features: a built-in rechargeable battery and a programmable Action Button for things like screenshots and clips. The product page says the USB-C charging cable is sold separately.
- Holiday bundles in the US: the controller plus two months of Game Pass Ultimate for new members comes with select Samsung TVs and with a Meta Quest purchase.
Our take: At $49.99 it is not a budget pad, so the size is the selling point. It looks most useful for kids, for cloud play on a TV, or as a second controller you keep in a bag.
League of Legends' Classic mode ends January 6, 2027
Riot Games said in an October 14 dev post that League Classic, its throwback mode built on an older version of the game, will end its current run after Season 3. Riot's support page puts the last day at January 6, 2027. Riot said "most have gone back to other parts of League." It hopes to bring Classic back later, likely as an event mode.
What it means for you:
- Refunds: Riot is refunding Classic-only cosmetics. Portraits bought in the store return their RP, and each portrait from the paid Act I Classic Pass returns 200 RP, both by November 30, 2026. If you paid cash for the Act I pass, you can ask Player Support for a refund to your original payment method within 30 days, Riot says.
- Free pass: the Act II Classic Pass in patch 26.21 is free. Pass progress ends January 4, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and from 26.21 the Classic store sells only champions, runes and rune pages.
- Queues: some regions, including Oceania, Korea and Latin America, move to set queue hours, and Japan and the Middle East get custom matches only. North America is not on that list. Custom games stay available everywhere.
Our take: Riot is ending the mode cleanly, with refunds and a free pass instead of a quiet fade. If Classic was your favorite way to play, you have until January 6.
Monster Hunter Wilds gets a free Switch 2 demo on October 19
Capcom's Monster Hunter account announced on October 14 that the free Monster Hunter Wilds Prologue Demo reaches Nintendo Switch 2 on October 19 (Pacific time). Capcom's US site lists the demo and pre-orders for October 20, which is the same moment in UK time. The full Switch 2 version launches December 4, 2026, according to Capcom's Switch 2 page.
What it means for you on Switch 2:
- Save carries over: progress from the demo moves into the full game.
- Play with friends: the demo supports local play, so nearby Switch 2 owners can hunt together.
- Pre-orders: digital pre-orders open the same day as the demo. Nintendo's US store currently lists the digital game at $39.99.
- Online play: the full game supports cross-platform online play, which needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Our take: A free demo with a save that carries over is the right way to test a big game on handheld hardware. Try it before you pre-order and see how it runs for you.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave gets a three-wave Expansion Pass
Nintendo of America announced the Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Expansion Pass at 9:01 p.m. ET on October 14, and the first wave is already out. Nintendo's store page lists what each wave adds:
- Wave 1, out October 14: prototype weapons for the four heroes, modeled on the Heroes' Relics from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
- Wave 2, holiday 2026: the gods Aurora, Smyrnos and Jurah join you in battle, plus new outfits.
- Wave 3, 2027: new stories for Bertrand, Talimun, Orchel and Anatolia, with new allies and classes.
What it means for you on Switch 2:
- Price: Nintendo's US store sells a Game + Expansion Pass bundle for $104.99, against $69.99 for the digital game alone.
- How to get it: from the Nintendo eShop on Switch 2. The DLC needs the base game.
Our take: Wave 1 is a small start, and the story content that justifies a pass doesn't come until 2027. Unless you want the Three Houses weapons right away, there's no rush to buy it.
007 First Light reaches Switch 2 on March 18, 2027
IO Interactive announced on October 14 that 007 First Light launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on March 18, 2027, with a new trailer of the game running on the console. The studio says it will spend the coming months improving performance on Switch 2.
What it means for you:
- Pre-orders: open now on the Nintendo Store, on Amazon.com and at other retailers. IO Interactive is promoting the GoldenEye Suit as the reason to pre-order.
- Deluxe Edition: $69.99, with early access to the GoldenEye Suit at launch, four gadgets (the Gleaming Lighter, Earphones, Dart Gun and Pen) and four extra outfits. IO Interactive's post gives no price for the standard edition.
- Amazon-only Special Edition: includes the Classic Tuxedo.
Our take: A firm date is good news, but the studio is still tuning performance. The GoldenEye Suit is the only reason to pre-order instead of waiting for reviews of the Switch 2 version.