Hacking Group Sets Sights On PlayStation Over All-Digital Future - TheGamer

What the report says

TheGamer reported that backlash against Sony’s stated plan to stop producing physical PlayStation software from 2028 has entered a fourth week, with the issue now drawing a public statement from the hacking and activist collective Anonymous. According to the outlet, Sony’s announcement at the start of the month prompted speculation that a next-generation PlayStation console could arrive around the same time, though that link remains framed as rumor in the report.

The report says the decision has generated heavy criticism from PlayStation users, including social media campaigns, protests, petitions, proposed legislation and class-action lawsuits. TheGamer also reported that Sony has not issued further public comment on the matter and that employees are operating under strict social media guidance, a silence the outlet says has worsened tensions with parts of the company’s audience.

Anonymous’ message, as described by TheGamer, argued that a digital-only model shifts control away from customers by replacing physical ownership with access governed by platform terms. The group urged players to buy physical copies while available, keep disc-drive consoles, download and back up existing purchases where possible, and read digital purchase terms carefully. TheGamer emphasized that Anonymous did not make threats against Sony.

The dispute matters because it touches on a long-running concern in games preservation and consumer rights: whether players truly own digital purchases if access depends on servers, licensing agreements or storefront policies. TheGamer noted the Anonymous statement arrived shortly after an unplanned PlayStation Network outage, while also stating there was no evidence connecting the two events.