Sony's recent State of Play livestream, intended to showcase new game announcements and trailers, was significantly overshadowed by widespread fan protests in the live chat. Viewers on both YouTube and Twitch directed their frustration towards two primary concerns: Sony's planned transition to a digital-only platform and the perceived neglect of the Destiny franchise.
Throughout the broadcast, messages such as "NO DISC NO BUY" and "WE WANT DESTINY 3" were repeatedly spammed in the YouTube chat. Twitch streams were similarly inundated with Destiny emotes and pleas for continued physical game support. These vocal demonstrations represent a convergence of two distinct public relations issues for Sony.
The first major point of contention is Sony's announced discontinuation of physical game support, set to take effect in January 2028. Following this announcement, the company has faced considerable backlash, and despite the strong negative reaction from many PlayStation players, Sony has indicated it will proceed with the digital-only strategy. In a related legal matter, Sony has argued in an ongoing class-action lawsuit that "reasonable consumers" do not truly own digital games they purchase.
The second source of fan anger stems from recent developments concerning the Destiny franchise, including the end of major support for Destiny 2 and significant staffing reductions at developer Bungie. Despite a recent surge in player engagement with Destiny 2, Bungie appears to be prioritizing its new title, Marathon. This focus has intensified calls from fans for a Destiny 3, a prospect that seems increasingly unlikely given the current circumstances. The protests seen during the State of Play underscore the depth of feeling among players regarding both Sony's future platform strategy and the direction of the Destiny series.