Ukrainian developer Ternox Games has announced that Sony is set to remove its entire catalog from the PlayStation Store on August 23, citing a unilateral termination of their developer and publisher agreement by Sony without any provided reason. The studio revealed the news on X (formerly Twitter) on August 16.
Ternox Games stated that PlayStation Support has been unresponsive to their inquiries and arguments regarding the termination. Consequently, the studio's upcoming title, Stonks-9800, a stock market simulator with an "overwhelmingly positive" rating on Steam, will no longer be released on PlayStation 5. The developer also indicated that they can no longer self-publish on PlayStation platforms.
In total, 13 games published or developed by Ternox Games are slated for removal from the PlayStation Store. The studio had intended to release the PS5 version of Stonks-9800 in 2027, potentially with a physical disc edition, but this is now impossible. Ternox Games aims to pursue physical releases for the PC and Nintendo Switch versions.
While the specific reasons for Sony's actions remain unclear, some online speculation suggests that Ternox Games may have been caught in Sony's broader efforts to enforce "stricter guidelines" against shovelware. This move comes amid broader concerns about Sony's digital and physical media strategy, including a recently announced plan to cease production of physical PlayStation discs by January 2028, which has generated significant backlash from players.