This month of January 2026, even if the releases are generally calm, two highly anticipated titles are landing for free on PlayStation 5 – and they could well revive the interest of players at the start of the year. While many games remain available at no cost through PlayStation Plus and the free-to-play category, 2XKO and Highguard stand out as two of the month’s most notable releases.
PS5 owners will be able to download and play these two games at no additional cost from their respective release dates: 2XKO on January 20 and Highguard the January 26, 2026. Although free to play, these titles will feature in-app purchases and unlockable premium content for players interested in bonuses or expansions.
2XKO: a fighting game inspired by Runeterra
Leaving January 202XKO is a fighting game set in the League of Legends universe, developed by Riot Games. The title adopts a cartoon graphic style and includes characters that fans will easily recognize, including figures featured in the Arcane series.
According to available information, 2XKO had already attracted attention well before its console release. It was available in early access on PC and was critically acclaimed to the point of being nominated in the best fighting game category at The Game Awards 2025, even without a full version available at that time.
This port to PlayStation 5 therefore marks an important step for the game and opens its gameplay to a wider audience.
Highguard: an original and free PvP shooter
A few days after 2XKO, the January 26Highguard will appear on PS5. This multiplayer hero shooter game was developed by Wildlight Entertainment, a studio made up of former Respawn Entertainment developers.
In Highguard, players compete around strategic objectives that provide access to the enemy base, a concept that energizes the action throughout the games. The game mixes both tactical and fast-paced combat elements, with characters with unique skills — in the vein of Overwatch or other titles in the genre.
Although there were mixed reactions to Highguard’s announcement, its free release on PS5 could attract a large community of gamers curious to try out this mix of action and online strategy.
Other notable releases on PS5 this month
In addition to these two free titles, January 2026 is not completely lacking in interesting new features. Among them:
- Mio: Memories in Orbita Metroidvania-style game, is released on January 20,
- Cairnfocused on climbing and exploration, will be available January 29,
- Code Vein 2an action-RPG inspired by anime, is coming January 30.
This means that beyond free‑to‑play games, PS5 owners will have a diverse range of titles to discover throughout the month.