Sony Ended Ternox Games’ Agreement, Blocking Stonks-9800 on PlayStation
The developer says Sony gave no explanation, while the canceled physical PS5 edition of Stonks-9800 had been planned for 2027 and 13 previously released games are scheduled to leave the PlayStation Store after August 23, 2026.
Ternox Games says Sony has ended its developer and publisher agreement, preventing the Ukrainian indie studio from releasing its stock-market simulation game Stonks-9800 on PlayStation. The studio now plans to self-publish the game on Xbox and Nintendo Switch instead.
In an August 16 post on X, Ternox Games said Sony terminated the agreement without providing a reason. The developer also claimed that multiple attempts to contact Sony, including emails sent directly to the company, received no response. Ternox said it still hopes Sony will reconsider the decision.
STONKS-9800 will not be coming to PS5.
Sony @PlayStation unilaterally terminated my PlayStation developer and publisher agreement without giving me any reason.
My existing games are scheduled to be removed from the PlayStation Store after August 23. pic.twitter.com/NQRnAmdyRb
— Ternox Games 🇺🇦 【STONKS-9800】OUT NOW! (@Taimumari) August 16, 2026
Stonks-9800 will move to Xbox and Nintendo Switch
With its PlayStation plans canceled, Ternox Games will focus on publishing Stonks-9800 on Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Physical versions for both consoles are still being planned, although the studio did not provide a release date for those editions. Ternox had previously planned a physical PS5 edition for 2027.
Stonks-9800: Stock Market Simulator is already available in Early Access on Steam. The anime-styled, text-based adventure casts players as a Japanese salaryman trying to move up through stock trading, with a presentation inspired by 1980s anime. It debuted in 2023 and has more than 1,380 user reviews, with 97% marked positive; Steam lists its overall rating as Overwhelmingly Positive. Video Games Chronicle reported that the game reached 100,000 sales in March 2026.
The decision affects more than the upcoming simulation game. Ternox Games said all 13 of its previously released titles will be removed from the PlayStation Store after August 23, 2026. Players who want to purchase those games digitally will have a limited window before the delistings take effect.
Ternox’s PlayStation catalog includes more than Stonks-9800
The studio’s PlayStation Store lineup includes Nexoria: Dungeon Rogue Heroes, a pixel-art dungeon crawler, along with Retro Highway, a racer modeled on Super Hang-On. Other releases include the side-scrolling shooter Unichrome: A 1-Bit Unicorn Adventure and Fox’s Zen House, an idle clicker that uses the DualSense touchpad.
The 13-game catalog includes Ternox’s own releases and titles from outside developers. The remaining nine titles are:
- Finger Fitness
- O-VOID: Console Edition
- Run & Jump Guy
- Scrap Divers
- Boned Again: Survivors
- Dungeonloop
- IN-VERT
- Taimumari: Complete Edition
- Bullet Beat
Ternox has pointed to its use of DualSense features, including haptic feedback, across its games. In a second August 16 post, the studio highlighted vibration effects tied to sound in the PS5 version of Nexoria.
The dispute shows how much control a platform holder can have over an independent studio’s ability to sell games. For Ternox Games, losing the agreement means the PlayStation versions of Stonks-9800 are no longer moving forward, while its existing catalog is also leaving the store.
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