STONKS-9800 Developer Says Sony Terminated PlayStation Agreement, Entire Catalog Facing Delisting

Indie game developer Ternox Games has announced that its upcoming 80s anime-style stock market simulator, STONKS-9800, will no longer be coming to PlayStation. In addition to canceling the planned 2027 PlayStation launch, the studio's entire portfolio of past releases is scheduled to be removed from the PlayStation Store by August 23. According to the developer, this sweeping action stems from Sony unilaterally terminating their PlayStation developer and publisher agreement without providing any apparent reason.

Ternox Games stated that PlayStation support has not provided an explanation or responded to the studio's emails. STONKS-9800 initially launched in Early Access on Steam in 2023, where it earned an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating from over 3,000 user reviews. While a physical disc edition and a PS5 release were previously planned, the developer confirmed they now have no choice but to forgo the platform entirely, with the title instead heading to Nintendo Switch and Xbox.

The developer currently manages 13 games on the PlayStation Store. This total includes 10 titles released independently over a five-year period and three games transferred to their account via publisher collaborations. Unless Sony reverses the decision, all 13 titles face removal from the platform. Ternox Games expressed regret over the situation, particularly regarding the games published on behalf of collaborating developers, and has shared an online thread showcasing the soon-to-be-delisted titles while encouraging interested users to purchase them before the deadline.

While Sony has not provided an official reason for the agreement termination, the timing coincides with reports that the platform holder has been enforcing stricter guidelines against titles deemed shovelware. Although Ternox Games maintains that its catalog does not fall into that category, speculation remains that the studio's titles may have been mistakenly flagged under the stricter enforcement. Ternox Games remains hopeful that the termination might be reconsidered and has asked the community to help bring visibility to the issue.