PlayStation Discs to End: Petition Hits 200,000 Signatures, Publisher Serenity Forge Criticizes Decision

The outcry over Sony's planned discontinuation of physical discs is growing louder. The company announced in early July that it would no longer produce new physical games for PlayStation starting January 2028. Now, the true extent of the resistance is becoming clear: The “Don’t Kill the Disc” petition has now surpassed the 200,000 signature mark.

Particularly noteworthy: criticism is now also emerging from the ranks of publishers. Zhenghua Yang, CEO of Serenity Forge (known for “Doki Doki Literature Club”), publicly backed physical editions. According to Yang, physical games help reach target audiences that purely digital distribution often doesn't address – such as collectors, casual gamers without fast internet, or buyers who want to gift games. While digital has become more practical, he states that it cannot entirely replace this access.

The controversial aspect of the whole situation: According to several reports, publishers, regional offices, and retail partners of Sony were apparently not adequately informed about the plans beforehand. This likely explains why public reactions from the industry are only now trickling in, instead of immediately following the original announcement. Major publishers like Take-Two or Ubisoft have not yet officially commented.

There has been no official statement from Sony regarding the petition or Serenity Forge's criticism so far. For collectors and fans of physical editions, hope remains that the growing public pressure might still have an effect before production is actually halted in 2028. We will continue to follow this story.

Source: Tom’s Hardware, GamesRadar+