PS5 Store’s Shovelware Purge Is Getting More Interesting by the Week
Sony’s ongoing shovelware purge on the PlayStation Store continues to expand, with publishers increasingly taking proactive measures to delist their own games before facing potential removal by the platform holder.
Xeneder Team recently announced on social media that it had made “the utmost difficult decision to delist a significant portion of our catalogue.” In follow-up posts, the developer indicated it intends to continue PlayStation 5 development, but the delisting appears to be a preemptive move to avoid potential future bans as part of Sony’s broader effort to clean up the store.
Xeneder Team’s catalogue consists primarily of budget titles featuring easily unlockable Platinum Trophies—a common characteristic of games targeted by Sony’s recent enforcement efforts.
The delisting trend is not isolated to Xeneder Team. Xitilon Games, another developer that has released over 200 titles to date, has also been removed from the PS Store. Xitilon Games’ portfolio includes numerous language learning applications, many of which featured similarly easy trophy unlock requirements.
The growing number of delistings suggests that developers are becoming increasingly concerned about Sony’s enforcement priorities, leading some to voluntarily withdraw their games rather than face mandatory removal. The purge reflects Sony’s ongoing efforts to improve the overall quality and authenticity of the PlayStation Store’s catalogue.