Sony Delists Fourth-Largest PlayStation Publisher, Targeting Shovelware Flood

The PlayStation Store's fourth-largest publisher has vanished overnight. ThiGamesDE, a company responsible for 1,194 PS4 and PS5 games, has seen its entire catalog disappear from the PlayStation Network. The publisher built its reputation as a shovelware giant, releasing constant streams of minimal-effort titles that trophy hunters and casual gamers alike have complained about for years.

PlayStation trophy hunter RobThanatos first alerted the gaming community to the sudden delisting. At this point, it remains unclear whether Sony initiated the removal or if ThiGamesDE pulled its own games. Regardless of who pressed the button, the result is the same: a massive hole in the PlayStation Store's catalog where thousands of low-quality games once sat.

What Makes ThiGamesDE a Shovelware Giant

ThiGamesDE's portfolio reads like a parody of game development. The company released titles such as The Jumping Spaghetti and The Jumping Ice Cube—games that barely qualify as interactive experiences. Critics noted the publisher regularly flooded the store with multiple versions of essentially the same game, creating a network of nearly identical products that dominated search results.

This practice of releasing copycat games has become increasingly common as generative AI tools make it easier to create familiar images and assets that can fool casual browsers. Shovelware typically mimics popular games that already dominate wishlists, offering cheap alternatives that trade on the visual language of successful titles without delivering comparable quality.

The removal of ThiGamesDE's catalog raises questions about what happens to the trophy hunters who built their collections on these games. These players specifically seek out quick-to-complete titles to boost their trophy counts. Whether Sony will erase these achievements from player accounts remains uncertain.

PlayStation's Struggle Against Shovelware

This delisting isn't Sony's first action against suspicious PS4 or PS5 games. In April 2025, PlayStation Lifestyle reported on the disappearance of titles like R.E.P.O.: Ghost Haul and Supermarket Simulator 2025. These removals suggest Sony has been monitoring the situation, but the platform continues to fight what appears to be a losing battle.

The core problem is that there seems to be a never-ending supply of copycats waiting to take the place of any games that get removed. As long as development tools remain accessible and there's a market of trophy hunters looking for easy completions, new shovelware will continue to appear.

The Broader Industry Problem

PlayStation isn't alone in facing this issue. The Nintendo eShop has become similarly inundated with shovelware, sometimes featuring borderline explicit content that skirts platform guidelines. All three major console manufacturers—Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo—just announced an update on their joint campaign for safer gaming. However, many knock-offs remain low-quality without explicitly breaking rules, making them difficult to remove through policy enforcement alone.

The challenge for platform holders is balancing open access for legitimate indie developers against the need to filter out exploitative content. Strict gatekeeping risks blocking creative projects, while lax moderation allows shovelware to proliferate.

What This Means for PlayStation Owners

For PlayStation owners, the removal of ThiGamesDE's catalog means cleaner search results and a less cluttered store interface. Players browsing for new games won't have to sift through hundreds of nearly identical titles to find quality experiences. This should make the discovery process more pleasant for everyone except the trophy hunters who relied on these games for quick achievements.

The move also signals that Sony is listening to customer feedback. Years of complaints about store clutter appear to have finally prompted action, though whether this represents a sustained crackdown or a one-time cleanup remains to be seen.

If Sony wants to make a meaningful dent in the shovelware problem, they'll need to implement better filtering systems and more proactive moderation. The current approach of removing publishers after they've already flooded the marketplace treats symptoms rather than causes.

RobThanatos X account PlayStation Lifestyle coverage PlayStation Blog

The gaming industry continues to grapple with how to maintain open platforms while protecting consumers from low-quality content. Sony's action against ThiGamesDE represents one of the largest single removals of shovelware from a major console marketplace. Whether this becomes a template for future enforcement or remains an isolated incident will determine if PlayStation Store can finally shed its reputation as a haven for copycat games.

For legitimate indie developers, this cleanup could be beneficial. With fewer low-effort titles competing for attention, quality games may find it easier to reach their intended audience. The removal creates space in the marketplace that creative developers can fill with genuinely innovative projects.

The next few months will reveal whether Sony maintains this aggressive stance or allows the shovelware ecosystem to rebuild itself. Given the sheer volume of ThiGamesDE's output and the apparent ease with which similar publishers can operate, PlayStation likely faces an ongoing challenge in keeping its store clean.