January is already shaping up to be a solid month PS Plus subscribers, with Sony kicking off 2026 with variety rather than relying too heavily on a single title. As usual, the monthly lineup aims to appeal to a broad PlayStation audience, with games that stand out from each other while still being an easy pick for PS Plus subscribers looking to expand their backlog without spending extra.
This diversity is evident in the three January free games, all of which will be available to play January 6, 2026. Subscribers will be able to claim Need for Speed Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedand Guardian of the corefeaturing everything from arcade street racing to a reimagined Disney platformer and co-op survival sandbox experience. It's a lineup that includes a variety of genres, tones, and playing styles, giving January a little more scope than the average monthly drop.
Need for Speed Unbound
Read Game Rant's review of Need for Speed Unbound
Need for Speed Unbound is an open-world street racing game set in Lakeshore City (inspired by Chicago), where players progress by earning money, upgrading cars, and qualifying for larger weekly events. As is customary in this franchise, races increase the player's heat (police renown) and force them to balance risk and reward as escapes become more difficult. While Need for Speed Unbound It stands out visually by combining cel-shading and graffiti with realistic car models at its core Need for Speed experience remains intact, with a focus on arcade-style controls, deep vehicle customization, and a single-player campaign alongside online multiplayer modes.
Need for Speed Unbound features at a glance
- OPEN WORLD STREET RACING through Lakeshore City, a fictional urban setting inspired by Chicago.
- SIGNATURE VISUAL ART STYLE mixing cel-shading and graffiti with realistic car models.
- THERMAL SYSTEM where police notoriety rises as you race and evade law enforcement.
- DEEP CAR CUSTOMIZATION with body kit, paint, wraps and performance tuning.
- WEEKLY RACE CYCLE with qualifiers leading up to the big Lakeshore Grand event.
- SINGLE PLAYER CAMPAIGN with narrative elements and character focus.
- MORE PLAYERS and online modes with races and shared events.
- WIDE LIST OF CARS (around 140 vehicles) to collect and drive.
- Released
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December 2, 2022
- ESRB
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teenage
- Publishers
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Electronic Arts
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Watch 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 interaction with the environment. Players control Mickey Mouse as the Wasteland moves, using paint to restore objects or thinner to erase them, affecting level layouts, puzzles, and optional paths. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed updates the original game with modern visuals, smoother 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
- FULL REMAKE the classics Epic Mickey with new visuals and rebuilt in Unreal Engine 4 for modern systems.
- PLAY AS MICKEY MOUSE in a vibrant 3D platformer adventure in the Wasteland, a world of forgotten Disney characters.
- MECHANICS OF MAGIC BRUSHES allowing you to use paint to restore and thinner to erase parts of the world, affecting the environment and mystery.
- CHOICES AFFECT YOUR PATH and outcomes, with decisions shaping certain parts of the story.
- ADVANCED MOVEMENT AND ABILITIES including the dash, sprint and ground pound, which are not in the original.
- ADVANCED CONTROL and quality of life updates over the original Wii version.
- PHOTO MODE AND OTHER COLLECTIONS like art and pins to unlock game accessories.
- EXPLORE CLASSIC DISNEY INSPIRED LEVELSwith both 3D and themed 2D segments.
- Released
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September 24, 2024
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developers
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Purple lamp
Guardian of the core
Check out Core Keeper on OpenCritic
Guardian of the core is a top-down survival sandbox game featuring mining, crafting and exploration in a procedurally generated underground world. Players collect resources, craft equipment and tools, and build a base as they push outward from the central hub to unlock new biomes and progression systems. Dueling, farming, fishing, cooking, and boss encounters all contribute to long-term progression, and the entire experience can be played solo or cooperatively with others. On the surface it may sound like a typical survival crafting game, but fans of both Stardew Valley and Terrariums something worthwhile should be found here.
A quick overview of Kernel Manager features
- UNDERGROUND MINING SANDBOX ADVENTURE where you explore a procedurally generated cave full of secrets, resources and creatures.
- SURVIVAL, CRAFTING AND BUILDING SYSTEM with tools, workstations, farms and bases to expand your underground home.
- COMBAT AND BOSS BITS against powerful enemies that unlock new progression elements and rewards.
- SKILL PROGRESSION SYSTEM which improves abilities such as mining, fighting, farming and movement with repeated use.
- MULTIPLAYER CO-OP UP TO 8 PLAYERS allows you to connect with friends and explore and survive together.
- FOOD, FARMING, ANIMALS 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 LIKE PORTALS AND MAPS to help navigate the vast underground world.
- Released
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August 27, 2024
- ESRB
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E For Everyone // Mild fantasy violence
- Developers
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Pugstorm
- Publishers
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Fireshine games
PS Plus January 2026 free games will be playable on January 6, 2026.
