Sony intensifies its cleanup of the PlayStation Store, targeting low-quality shovelware and misleading titles. While hundreds of games vanished over the weekend and thousands more this year, some developers evade removal through quick changes.
Deceptive Key Art Swapped Out
Take 28 Floors: Outbreak, an upcoming title from Witenovastudio OÜ. Its promotional image originally featured a character resembling Nathan Drake from Uncharted. Now, a generic soldier replaces the lookalike, allowing the game to remain listed. Screenshots hint at a Resident Evil-style survival experience, though authenticity remains unclear.
Jesus Simulator Reborn as New Title
Sony removed Jesus Simulator, but a similar game, Jesus: The Journey from Oriplay, quickly appeared. This repurposed superhero title shows Jesus flying over a modern city with laser-beam eyes, capitalizing on seasonal interest.
Mass Deletions Target Shovelware Publishers
Entire catalogs from publishers like VRCForge, Welding Byte, and GoGame have been wiped out. Sony reviews submissions for offensive content or explicit material, yet subpar games slip through initially.
Examples of lingering low-effort titles include Supermarket CEO Simulator, Water Blast Shooter – Wet Gun, Card Shop Game Store: TCG Simulator, and Watermelon Fruits Puzzle. These cheap offerings often use misleading screenshots and names mimicking popular franchises.
The core issue persists: why do such games reach the store at all? Stricter upfront quality checks could prevent the need for ongoing purges.
