The Stellar Blade demo was quietly added and then quickly removed from the PS5 PlayStation Store earlier today, with Sony reducing access for users who downloaded it.
Stellar Blade is the action-roleplaying game that features slick action and an already lovable protagonist, coming exclusively to PS5 on April 26. Neither Sony nor developer Shift Up announced or advertised the demo before it went live today, but less than an hour after the release of the free trial, it was quickly removed without comment from either company.
Users who had already downloaded the demo also reported that their access was completely revoked, meaning the Stellar Blade teaser was no longer available to play, even if it was installed on the console. social media Users were quick to point out that Sony has never engaged in such practices, even when the playable teaser for Hideo Kojima's canceled Silent Hills game (PT) was removed by its publisher.
It's unclear if the demo went live earlier than planned or if it was removed due to an unexpected bug – but either way, it shows that the big, big publishers who hold the rights to save games can't really be trusted to simply erase a digital copy from existence.
Twitterer ScrewyClassic said: “I think it's uncomfortable that they've shown they can rip the digital license for anything out of your hands.” Meanwhile John Linnemann of Digital Foundry said The company's ability to “deactivate any license at any time for any reason” is “extremely worrisome” because “there's not much you can do about it.” Digital ownership doesn't really exist, I guess.
Countless video games have been lost to time due to strange legal shenanigans and other nebulous reasons. Warner Bros. Discovery recently extended its film policy (deleting entire projects to cut taxes) to its video game division, as it prepares to scrub dozens of indie games off storefronts. Cult classic shooter Spec Ops: The Line was also made unavailable for purchase earlier this year due to the expiration of a “partnership license” that will not be extended. But Stellar Blade is still due for full release next month.
Stellar Blade's director said it was a big honor for the game to draw comparisons to “Korean Ni”.