We're nearing the end of the month, and so that means Sony is set to announce the next batch of free PlayStation Plus games. The free PlayStation Plus games for October 2021 announcement will most likely happen on Wednesday, September 29 with the free games for October 2021 being added on Tuesday, October 5. As always, fans have started sharing theories about what the free games will entail, though some of these theories hold more weight than others.
One recent theory making the rounds online suggests that the free PS Plus games for October 2021 will potentially include Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, for the uninitiated, is a crossover fighting game that takes its cues from Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. franchise. A licensed game of its nature usually wouldn't drum up much interest or attention, but the developers are going out of their way to make the game not only appeal to those that like the Nickelodeon brand, but also to legitimate competitive fighting game players.
The developers are accomplishing this through popular choices like making sure Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl uses rollback netcode. Because of this, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is enjoying an unusual amount of hype for a game of its kind, with many looking forward to its release date on Tuesday, October 5.
Free PS Plus Games for October 2021 Theory
Since Tuesday, October 5 is the day that the free PS Plus games for October 2021 are being released, it has led to the theory that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl could be one of the featured games. Its release date isn't the only reason why some fans have jumped to this conclusion, however. The other reason is that Sony has established a clear pattern of making sure that the free PS5 PS Plus game for any given month is a brand new game, with very few exceptions.
In fact, since Sony has started releasing free PS5 PS Plus games, there are only two examples where the free game wasn't a new PS5 release. In January, Sony released Maneater as a free PS5 PS Plus game, and even issued refunds to those that already purchased the game. And then the free PS Plus games for September 2021 included Overcooked: All You Can Eat, a co-op party game that was a PS5 launch title.
Otherwise, the free PS5 PS Plus games have all been new releases. It's possible Sony is officially moving away from having the free PS5 PS Plus games being brand new games, but it's also possible that Overcooked: All You Can Eat and Maneater are rare exceptions to the rule. In any case, Sony's tendency to make the free PS5 PS Plus games be new has helped back up this particulary theory in the eyes of some fans.
And the final piece of the puzzle is the fact that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is not available for pre-order on the PlayStation Store, yet is available for pre-order on other platforms. This has been used as evidence to indicate free PS Plus games in the past, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything. There are many examples of games not being available to pre-order through the PlayStation Store despite appearing on other digital storefronts. It's unclear what causes these discrepancies, but it can't be used as solid evidence that a game is set to be a free PlayStation Plus title.
Free PS Plus Games for October 2021 Predictions
Some of this logic has been applied to another game that many have predicted will be one of the free PS Plus games for October 2021. World War 2 shooter Hell Let Loose fits all the same criteria as Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, though there is some additional evidence to suggest that it may actually be the free PS5 PS Plus game for October 2021. Hell Let Loose had a PS5 exclusive beta, which suggests an agreement between Sony and the game's developers.
Hell Let Loose wouldn't be the first game to have a PlayStation exclusive beta and then become a free PS Plus game. Just a couple of months ago, battle royale game Hunter's Arena: Legends was a free PS Plus game after having a PlayStation beta, so it's a bit easier to believe that Hell Let Loose could be one of the free PS Plus games for October 2021.
Ultimately, fans won't know about the free PlayStation Plus games for October 2021 for sure until Sony itself decides to reveal them. As previously stated, the free PS Plus games for October 2021 will almost certainly be revealed on Wednesday, September 29. At that point, fans should not only find out what the free PS5 PS Plus game for October 2021 is, but they should also learn what the two PS4 games are as well.
Once the free PS Plus games for October 2021 reveal happens, it will be interesting to see if any of these theories are correct. While it's technically possible that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a free PS Plus game for October 2021, it seems highly unlikely. Hell Let Loose is much more believable.