Recently, gaming industry media outlet HighChaosRun revealed that PlayStation India had blacklisted several media outlets and restricted their access to game review copies after they reported on news regarding "the impending demise of physical discs."
According to HighChaosRun, several media outlets had previously cited the website's investigative report published on July 7, 2026, which stated that PlayStation was quietly advancing plans to phase out physical discs without informing publishers or business partners. Subsequently, when these media outlets applied for review access to PlayStation India's recent new title Marvel Rivals, as well as future major titles like Marvel Wolverine and Phantom Blade Zero, they were informed that they had been blacklisted.
According to the report, marketing staff from PlayStation India even directly named HighChaosRun and its author, claiming that the related coverage had "damaged the company's image" and accusing the media of doing so merely to "grab attention."
In addition to restricting media access, PlayStation India was also accused of taking more aggressive measures. Some media outlets claimed they were blocked on WhatsApp by the company's PR agency, an action allegedly carried out at PlayStation's instruction. Given that India's communication environment heavily relies on WhatsApp, this move was criticized as "absurd."
HighChaosRun pointed out in its report that before publishing its previous investigative piece, it gave PlayStation India five days to respond, but received no reply. The author stated that they had long expected to be blacklisted, describing PlayStation India as "the most insecure publisher in the Indian market," despite its near-monopoly position locally.
The report also mentioned that about a year ago, PlayStation threatened to "blacklist" an Indian content creator for reporting on PS6-related leaks, but eventually backed down after external intervention. Now, a similar incident has occurred again, raising concerns about media independence and industry transparency.
HighChaosRun emphasized that staying accountable to the audience and maintaining honest reporting is the right path to driving progress in the gaming industry. Attempting to protect one's image by suppressing fair coverage only makes a company appear as if it has "something to hide." As of press time, neither PlayStation nor Sony has issued an official response regarding this incident.