Sony Escalates Purge of Shovelware, Delists Hundreds of Games from PS Store

Sony Interactive Entertainment has significantly intensified its moderation efforts on the PlayStation Store, removing hundreds of titles from publishers Nostra Games and CGI Lab. This recent purge follows an earlier crackdown this year involving publisher ThiGames, signaling a sustained campaign against what the industry terms "shovelware." The entire catalogs of the affected publishers were delisted overnight, rendering their software unavailable for purchase.

Nostra Games, a Cyprus-based studio, saw a portfolio of nearly 700 titles wiped from the storefront. While the studio stated on its Discord channel that it was not provided with a specific reason for the removal, it expressed confusion and disappointment. The developer noted that the action was unexpected and halted future release plans on the PlayStation platform. The studio intends to continue publishing on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Steam.

The delisting arrives amidst controversy surrounding Nostra Games, specifically regarding its title Ghostly Whiskers. The game recently faced accusations of being an AI-generated clone of Haunted Paws. Furthermore, the publisher was known for releasing stackable games across different regions, often featuring easy Platinum trophies, a practice that has drawn criticism from the player base.

The publisher CGI Lab was also caught in the sweep. Its smaller catalog of horror titles, including Platform Zero and Veins of Darkness, was removed. These games were characterized as low-effort releases, contributing to the decision by Sony to sever ties.

This aggressive move suggests that Sony is becoming increasingly serious about content curation. However, industry observers note that with dozens of new titles—many utilizing AI-generated assets—hitting the store daily, reactive delisting may not be sufficient. Questions remain regarding whether the platform holder will implement stricter quality assurance checks prior to publication to prevent low-quality software from appearing in the store's catalog.