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PlayStation Blocks Afil Games and Tightens Publishing Rules

Sony’s move signals a broader crackdown on low-effort storefront titles used to farm easy trophies.

Overview

  • Brazilian publisher Afil Games announced that PlayStation has ended their partnership and will remove the publisher’s existing PS4 and PS5 listings from the PlayStation Store in the near future.
  • Publishers and outlets link the decision to newly enforced, stricter publishing guidelines that Sony has applied in multiple removal waves this year to reduce so-called shovelware.
  • Reports conflict on Afil’s catalogue size, with outlets citing figures from roughly 140 titles to claims of over 900, reflecting inconsistent public data and rapid takedowns.
  • Industry coverage says many removed titles offer extremely easy PlayStation Trophies, including quick Platinums, which has driven player complaints and motivated the platform’s enforcement push.
  • Afil plans to continue releasing games on Xbox, the Microsoft Store, and Nintendo Switch, and observers say the move could push other low-effort publishers to migrate platforms while raising questions about the exact criteria Sony is now using.