PlayStation India Accused of Blacklisting Media Over Disc Phase-Out Coverage
- Sagar Mankar
- 37 minutes ago
- 2 min read
PlayStation India has reportedly blacklisted several media outlets that covered the company's decision to phase out physical game discs.
The claims were first detailed by Rishi Alwani of High Chaos Run, and they paint a pretty messy picture of how PlayStation India has been handling the fallout from its own announcement.
A quick recap on how we got here. Back on July 1, 2026, Sony confirmed that it would stop physical disc production for all new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. Once that date hits, new titles will only be available digitally through the PlayStation Store or select retailers offering digital codes. Games that released before the cutoff will still be available on disc, so it's not like existing libraries are getting wiped out.
Sony framed the move as a response to "shifting consumer preferences." Digital sales have apparently made up the large majority of purchases in recent fiscal periods, with figures reportedly ranging from the 70% to 80% range. The company called the move "a natural direction" rather than a dramatic pivot.
As you'd expect, the announcement didn't land well with everyone. Gamers, retailers, preservation advocates, and even some publishers pushed back hard. All raised concerns about the loss of true ownership, the second-hand market, lending and sharing of games, long-term archival access, and the potential for future digital licenses to become inaccessible if stores close or accounts are restricted.
According to Rishi's July 7th report, some regional offices, publishers, and business partners, including those in India handling retail or distribution talks, weren't fully briefed before the news went public.
This is where things get interesting. According to the latest report, several outlets that covered the “disc phase-out story” and later reports about “partners being left in the dark” have been added to PlayStation India’s "blacklist."
The outlets discovered this after being denied access to review or preview materials for games like Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Marvel's Wolverine, and Phantom Blade Zero.
PlayStation India's marketing team even directly name-dropped High Chaos Run and its author, saying they had been blacklisted because their coverage portrayed the company in a "bad light" and was done "for views."
Some journalists even said they were blocked on WhatsApp by the PR agency handling PlayStation India's communications.
Rishabh Sabarwal, Editor at Beebom, publicly backed up the claims, confirming that multiple outlets were affected. On X, he wrote: "They did it with not just one, but multiple media outlets. PlayStation is just playing dirty right now with such censorship. The folks handling media relations are absolute clowns. Not to mention the ego factor of the PR firm they're associated with."
For now, PlayStation India hasn't issued any public response to these blacklisting claims.
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