# Sony PlayStation policy changes, Marvel Tokon issues

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/sony-digital-content-removal-2026
> Updated: 2026-08-06T10:04:08.000Z. Sources: 88. Developments: 14.

Sony will remove 551 StudioCanal‑licensed movies and series from PlayStation Store accounts in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Slovakia, Italy, Spain and other EU markets on 1 September 2026, offering no refunds and treating digital purchases as licences that can be withdrawn when rights contracts end. The company also clarified its EU idle‑account policy: after three consecutive years of no login, a warning email is sent and users have a six‑month grace period to reactivate; failure results in permanent closure of the profile and loss of all digitally purchased games, DLC, cloud saves and subscriptions. The measure complies with GDPR and does not apply to U.S. accounts. Physical production of new PlayStation games will cease from early 2028, moving all future releases to digital download only. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls launched on 6 August 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) in Standard, Digital Deluxe and Ultimate editions. The title quickly rose in sales rankings, becoming the second‑best‑selling paid game on Steam and ranking sixth among pre‑ordered titles on the Portuguese PlayStation Store. Early reviews praised its shared‑lifebar mechanic, fast‑paced 4v4 tag‑team combat and deep team synergy. The PC version suffered severe performance problems: micro‑stutters, high CPU load, launch failures, anti‑cheat‑induced black‑screen windows and incompatibility with Linux, Steam Deck, OBS and Discord. On Steam the game holds a 43 % positive rating from over a thousand reviews. Arc System Works issued a launch‑day patch that reduced CPU usage, smoothed frame‑time spikes, improved shader compilation and added anti‑aliasing controls. An expanded patch later fixed overlay slowdowns, input‑lag bugs and monitor‑switching issues. PS5 users were advised to disable cross‑play to avoid lag‑affected PC opponents.

## Claims

- The PC version suffers performance problems including micro‑stutters, high CPU usage, launch failures, and anti‑cheat causing black‑screen windows. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was released on 6 August 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Steam users gave the game a 43 % positive rating based on over 1,000 reviews. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Arc System Works released a launch‑day patch that reduces CPU load and addresses stutter and shader compilation issues. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The PlayStation 5 version runs smoothly with an average rating of 4.49 / 5 on the PlayStation Store. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The secret 21st character “Champion” can be unlocked by completing the Fighting Avengers episode in the Episodes mode. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls became the second best‑selling title on Steam on launch day, generating high revenue. (single source)
- Future DLC plans include additional Marvel fighters such as Thor, Nova, Shalla‑Bal and Silver Surfer, hinted at in a prequel comic. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-06: Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls launch hit by PC performance issues, mixed Steam reviews

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls launched on PS5 and PC on 6 Aug 2026; PC suffers performance bugs and a 43 % Steam rating, while PS5 runs smoothly. A launch patch addresses stutters, and a secret 21st character “C

19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-launches-on-ps5-and-pc

### 2026-08-04: Arc System Works Announces Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Launch on Aug 6

Arc System Works unveiled Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, a 4v4 tag‑fighter releasing 6 Aug on PS5 and PC with 20 characters, new modes, and three digital editions priced from €69.99 to €109.99.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/arc-system-works-announces-marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-launch-on-aug-6

### 2026-08-02: Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Launches August 6, 2026 on PS5 and PC

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, a 4‑v‑4 Marvel fighting game by Arc System Works, Marvel Games and PlayStation Studios, releases on Aug 6 2026 for PS5 and PC with 20 characters and multiple modes.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-launches-august-6-2026-on-ps5-and-pc

### 2026-07-10: Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Available in 15 New Countries

PlayStation removed Steam purchase blocks for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls in 15 countries, including the Philippines and Dominican Republic, allowing local gamers to buy the title while many markets stay off‑l

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-available-in-15-new-countries

### 2026-07-05: Sony to Close Inactive PlayStation Network Accounts After Three Years

Sony will delete EU PlayStation Network accounts inactive for three years, warning users six months before loss of all digital purchases; the policy provokes backlash amid the shift to fully digital gaming.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-playstation-policies-threaten-inactive-eu-accounts-and-block-pc-game-in-132-countries

### 2026-07-04: Sony blocks Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls in 132 countries over PlayStation Network requirement

Sony's Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls will be unavailable for purchase on Steam in 132 countries because a PSN account link is required, echoing the 2024 Helldivers 2 controversy.

16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-blocks-marvel-tokon-pc-preorders-in-132-regions-over-playstation-network-requirement

### 2026-07-03: Sony to Remove 551 Purchased Movies from PlayStation Store in Europe

Sony will delete 551 StudioCanal movies from European PlayStation Store accounts on 1 Sept 2026, citing an expired licence; no refunds are offered.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-to-remove-551-purchased-playstation-movies-in-europe-without-refunds

### 2026-06-30: Sony to Pull Purchased StudioCanal Movies from PlayStation Libraries in Europe

Sony says all StudioCanal movies and series bought on the PlayStation Store will be removed from users' libraries across Europe on 1 Sept 2026 after licenses expire, with no refund details provided.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-to-pull-purchased-studiocanal-movies-from-playstation-libraries-in-europe

### 2026-06-29: Sony Pulls Hundreds of Films and Games from PlayStation Stores

Sony is removing 551 licensed films from the UK PlayStation Store and about 140 shovelware games from its global store, highlighting digital‑ownership issues and stricter content policies.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-pulls-hundreds-of-films-and-games-from-playstation-stores

### 2026-06-28: Sony's PlayStation to delete 550+ purchased StudioCanal movies from user libraries

Sony will delete 551 StudioCanal movies from PlayStation Store libraries in Europe on 1 Sept 2026, citing expired licences, with no refunds, sparking fresh debate over digital ownership.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/playstation-to-delete-551-purchased-movies-from-user-libraries

### 2026-06-27: Sony to Delete Over 500 Movies from UK PlayStation Store

Sony will remove over 550 StudioCanal movies from UK PlayStation users' libraries on Sep 1, citing licensing; no refunds offered, sparking gamer criticism.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-to-delete-over-500-movies-from-uk-playstation-store

### 2026-06-26: PlayStation Store to Remove StudioCanal Movies and Series from Users' Libraries in 2026

From 1 Sept 2026, PlayStation Store will delete all StudioCanal movies and series bought by users in Spain and the UK due to licence expirations, affecting titles like ‘Paddington’ and ‘Terminator 2’.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/playstation-store-to-remove-studiocanal-movies-and-series-from-users-libraries-in-2026

### 2026-06-26: Sony PlayStation to delete 550+ purchased movies after StudioCanal license expires

Sony will delete over 550 movies bought on PlayStation, including “Terminator 2” and “Rambo”, after a StudioCanal license ends on 1 Sept 2026, with no refunds, sparking digital‑ownership concerns.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-playstation-removes-access-to-over-500-movies-customers-previously-bought

### 2026-06-17: Sony to remove 12 games from PlayStation Plus catalog in July 2026

Sony says 12 games, including Risk of Rain 2 and Tropico 6, will leave the PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium catalog on 21 July 2026, ending subscription access worldwide.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sony-to-remove-12-games-from-playstation-plus-catalog-in-july-2026

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Cite as: Sony PlayStation policy changes, Marvel Tokon issues. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/sony-digital-content-removal-2026
