Gran Turismo Copycat Forced to Change Its Name for Release on PS5, PS4
Sony’s legal team forced publisher Appwill Company to rename its racing game “Gran Carismo” to “Grand Car Racing” ahead of its PlayStation Store release. The change was necessary because the original title was deemed too similar to the established Gran Turismo franchise, part of Sony’s broader efforts to maintain quality standards and prevent poor quality or low-effort games from flooding the PS Store.
The game launched earlier this month under its new name on PlayStation platforms. However, the rebranding appears to have been executed hastily—while the game’s title on PS Store has been changed to “Grand Car Racing,” the tile artwork still displays the original “Gran Carismo” name, creating visual inconsistency on the storefront.
Notably, Sony’s intervention appears to have been specific to PlayStation platforms. The same game continues to use its original “Gran Carismo” name on other digital storefronts, including Steam and the Nintendo eShop, where it faces no such restrictions. This platform-specific enforcement highlights Sony’s active policing of its PlayStation Store ecosystem and trademark concerns around the Gran Turismo brand.
The incident underscores the ongoing challenges in managing digital storefronts while also demonstrating Sony’s willingness to take legal action to protect its intellectual property. The incomplete rebranding—with the title changed but artwork remaining unchanged—suggests the transition between the old and new names was not fully coordinated, leaving the game in an awkward state on the PlayStation Store.