Sony Terminates Indie Developer’s PlayStation Agreement Without Explanation, Delists Entire Catalog

No Warning, No Explanation

Ukrainian developer Ternox Games says Sony has cut it off from PlayStation entirely, with no reason given. “STONKS-9800 will not be coming to PS5,” the studio posted on X.

Sony @PlayStation unilaterally terminated my PlayStation developer and publisher agreement without giving me any reason. My existing games are scheduled to be removed from the PlayStation Store after August 23.”

The developer says getting any clarity from Sony has been impossible. “PlayStation Support refuses to listen to my arguments or even respond to my emails in any way,” Ternox Games wrote in a follow-up post. “This means I will no longer be able to self-publish my games on PlayStation. I still plan to release STONKS-9800 on Nintendo Switch and Xbox.” Speaking to TheGamer, the developer added more detail on what little explanation they did get:

“PlayStation just cited a clause in the agreement that allows them to terminate the agreement without giving a reason, that’s all. I’ve been writing to them for several weeks, trying to get a more specific reason, but that’s all I have.”

Sony also revoked access to the developer’s dashboard, cutting off the only channel Ternox Games had to update its games or communicate with support at all.

Years Of Work, Gone In A Week

The fallout extends well beyond STONKS-9800’s cancelled PS5 plans. “I had hoped to release the PS5 version in 2027 and make a physical disc edition while that was still possible,” Ternox Games wrote. “Sadly, that will not happen, but I’ll do my best to create a physical edition for PC and Switch.”

The developer says it has released 10 games over 5 years, with 3 more added to its account by other publishers it had worked with, bringing the total to 13 titles across the account since 2021. All of them are set to disappear from the PlayStation Store by August 23, including Nexoria: Dungeon Rogue Heroes, Retro Highway, Unichrome: A 1-Bit Unicorn Adventure, and Taimumari: Complete Edition, among others, according to the developer’s full list.

Ternox Games was noticeably apologetic to the developers it had published on Sony’s behalf. “I’m really sorry that this happened and that I failed the developers whose games I published,” the studio wrote. “But there’s nothing I can do about it now, unfortunately.” Still, the developer hasn’t given up entirely, posting a final appeal: “I still have a tiny bit of hope that this decision will be reconsidered, so please share this message if you can.”

A Possible Case Of Mistaken Identity

The leading theory online is that Ternox Games got swept up in Sony’s ongoing effort to clear low-effort “shovelware” off the PlayStation Store. Sony has removed thousands of games throughout 2026 as part of that push, including roughly 1,196 titles from a single publisher in January and hundreds more from another publisher in June, alongside stricter new publishing guidelines for the storefront.

The problem is that Ternox Games’ catalog doesn’t fit that mold. STONKS-9800 alone carries an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam after years in Early Access, and the developer’s other titles have generally been well received rather than mass-produced trophy filler.

Sony hasn’t commented publicly on the termination, and given the company’s pattern with these storefront cleanups, it may never explain the decision even if it turns out to be an error. For now, anyone who wants Ternox Games’ catalog on PlayStation has a closing window to buy it before it disappears for good.

STONKS-9800 is currently available on Steam in Early Access.