Overview
- Sony has moved to stricter publishing standards for the PlayStation Store that have led to large-scale removals of low-effort titles.
- Afil Games confirmed that its catalogue will be removed from the PlayStation Store and that its future releases will not appear on PS5 under the new rules.
- Reports say Sony has carried out multiple waves of enforcement this year that together removed thousands of games from the storefront.
- Afil said it will focus future releases on Xbox One, Xbox Series, the Microsoft Store and Nintendo Switch as it reallocates after the PS5 exclusion.
- The policy aims to curb 'shovelware'—simple asset-flip games often used to pad Trophy lists—but outlets note Sony has not published the exact criteria or an appeals process and has not given a public explanation for the changes.