January is already shaping up to be a solid month PS Plus Sony kicks off 2026 with variety rather than relying heavily on a single headliner. As usual, the monthly lineup aims to appeal to PlayStation's wider audience, looking to expand their backlog at no extra cost to PS Plus members while the games feel different from each other.
That diversity is evident in January's three free games, all of which are available to play January 6, 2026. Members will be able to claim Speed is essential for unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedand Core KeeperCovering everything from arcade-style street racing to a reimagined Disney platformer and a cooperative sandbox survival experience. It's a lineup that covers a variety of genres, tones and playstyles, giving January a bit more range than the average monthly drop.
Speed is essential for unbound
Read Game Rant's review of Need for Speed Unbound
Speed is essential for unbound Lakeshore is an open-world street racing game set in the city (inspired by Chicago), where players progress by earning money, upgrading cars, and qualifying for big weekly events. As is common in the franchise, races turn up the player's heat (police infamy), forcing them to balance risk and reward as escape becomes more difficult. While Speed is essential for unbound It sets itself apart visually with a mix of real car models, cell-shading and graffiti along the core. Needed for speed The experience remains intact, with a focus on the single-player campaign alongside arcade-style handling, deep vehicle customization, and online multiplayer modes.
Need for Speed Unbound features at a glance
- Open-world street racing Throughout Lakeshore City, a dreamy urban environment inspired by Chicago.
- Signature visual art style Cell-shading and graffiti blend with realistic car models.
- heat system Where you run and avoid law enforcement the police are infamous.
- Deep car customization With body kits, paint, wraps, and performance tuning.
- Weekly race cycle With qualifiers advancing to the big Lakeshore Grand Event.
- Single-player campaign With story elements and character focus.
- Multiplayer And online mode with races and shared events.
- A wide roster of cars (about 140 vehicles) to collect and drive.
- issued
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December 2, 2022
- ESRB
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teenager
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Check out Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed on OpenCritic
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a remake of the original Disney Epic Mickey (Nintendo Wii 2010), a 3D platformer revolving around exploration and environmental interaction. Players control Mickey Mouse as he walks through the Wasteland, using paint to restore objects or erase them, which affects level layouts, puzzles, and alternate paths. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Updates the original game with modern visuals, intuitive controls, additional movement options, and quality-of-life improvements, all while maintaining its focus on platforming, light combat, and choice-driven progression.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed's Features at a Glance
- A complete remake of the classics Epic Mickey With new visuals and rebuilt in Unreal Engine 4 for modern systems.
- Play as Mickey Mouse A vibrant 3D platformer adventure through the Wasteland, a world of forgotten Disney characters.
- Magical paintbrush mechanics Let you use color to restore and erase parts of the thin world, affecting environments and mysteries.
- Choices affect your journey and outcomes, with decisions shaping certain parts of the story.
- Enhanced movement and abilities Not present in the original, including the dash, sprint, and ground pound.
- Enhanced controls And quality of life updates to the original Wii version.
- Photo mode and additional collections Like art and pins to unlock in-game extras.
- Explore classic Disney-inspired levelsWith both 3D and themed 2D sections.
- issued
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September 24, 2024
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ // Fantasy violence
- developer(s)
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Purple light
Core Keeper
Check out Core Keeper on OpenCritic
Core Keeper is a top-down sandbox survival game that features mining, crafting, and exploration in a procedurally generated underground world. Players gather resources, craft gear and equipment, and build a base, pushing out from a central hub to unlock new biomes and progression systems. Combat, farming, fishing, cooking, and boss encounters all factor into long-term progression, and the entire experience can be played solo or cooperatively with others. It may seem like a simple survival crafting game on the surface, but fans of both Stardew Valley and Terraria Something worthwhile is to be found here.
Core Keeper features at a glance
- Underground mining sandbox adventure Where you explore a procedurally generated cave full of secrets, resources and creatures.
- Survival, crafting, and building systems With tools, workstations, fields, and bases to expand your underground home.
- Combat and boss battles Against powerful enemies unlocking new progression elements and rewards.
- Skill progression system Which improves abilities like mining, fighting, farming, and movement through repeated use.
- Multiplayer co-op for up to 8 players Allowing you to explore and survive together with friends.
- Food, farming, pets, and other systems Including cooking, gardening, fishing, and caring for animals.
- Multiple biomes and world modes With different materials, enemies, and challenges plus creative or difficulty options.
- Exploration tools such as portals and maps To help navigate the vast underground world.
- issued
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August 27, 2024
- ESRB
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E For All // Mild fantasy violence
- developer(s)
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Pugstorm
- Publisher(s)
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Fireshine Games
PS Plus The free games for January 2026 will be available to play on January 6, 2026.
