If you’ve ever browsed the PlayStation Store and encountered games that seem suspiciously similar to popular titles but feature low-effort reskins and little originality, Sony has finally listened.
The company has quietly removed the entire catalogs of three publishers from the PlayStation Store: GoGame Console Publisher, VRCForge Studios, and Welding Byte. These deletions were initially spotted on PSNProfiles, featuring well-known titles like Urban Driver Simulator, Water Blast Shooter – Wet Gun, and Supermarket CEO Simulator (via EuroGamer).
SonyWhat Exactly Is Shovelware?
Shovelware refers to games created with minimal effort, often cloning popular titles to capitalize on their success, or designed to grant players quick achievement or Trophy unlocks. These are essentially low-cost imitations of popular games that managed to enter the PlayStation Store by taking advantage of its lenient submission process.
Regardless, to streamline its digital marketplace and offer PlayStation users a polished experience, the most recent update aims to assist. What is particularly notable is that Sony is conducting this cleanup for the third time in 2026.
The fourth-largest publisher on the PlayStation Store (by volume), boasting over a thousand titles, was completely removed in January 2026, with CHI Laba and Nostra Games following in March. This latest April removal occurs less than two weeks after the March sweep.
SonyIs Sony’s Crackdown Effective?
Partially. These removals are linked to the Shared Commitment to Safer Gaming, a joint effort among three major console and publishing companies: Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo. This institutional support strengthens Sony’s current crackdown compared to earlier, isolated purges.
However, within the PlayStation Store, the issue continues. Sony’s strategy remains reactive, suggesting the company deletes flagged content instead of reviewing submissions beforehand to stop low-effort titles from appearing. Additionally, the banned content continues to resurface on the platform under various names.
Until submission criteria become stricter, maintaining control will be difficult for Sony. In my view, Sony needs to shift from reactive delisting to proactive gatekeeping of submissions, or the cycle will persist. Nevertheless, the latest crackdown deserves praise.