Sony Unveils Phantom Blade Zero State of Play, But Chat Expected to Be Overrun with Disc Backlash

Sony has announced a dedicated State of Play for the promising action game Phantom Blade Zero, but given the reaction to the announcement, the live chat is likely to be flooded with angry comments about Sony's decision to phase out PlayStation discs. The State of Play is set for August 17 at 7pm PT / 10pm ET / August 18 at 3am UK time, and was announced across Sony's social channels and the PlayStation Blog. As with many recent PlayStation announcements, the replies are dominated by backlash over the impending end of physical disc production starting in 2028.

This State of Play, the first since Sony's announcement sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, appears set to be no different. One person commented, "Need everyone to spam #NODISCNOBUY in that chat," while another said, "Oh that chat is gonna be one for the history books." A third predicted, "Oh, this live stream is gonna be overloaded with people telling Sony what idiots they are for not supporting physical anymore. The message will be lost."

The X/Twitter account Does it play?, which has been leading the online backlash, replied, "Are you going to censor comments about your attack on physical media and gaming culture in the chat again this time? People have a right to be upset. Literally everyone will be off worse in the long run. Yet you are ignoring your fans. #PhysicalGamesMatter."

Phantom Blade Zero could be the latest game to be drowned out by the no-disc backlash, despite having no connection to the decision. Some are even wondering if Sony will disable the chat for the State of Play, given the expected comments. The PlayStation Blog comments are also critical of Sony. One person said, "I think for the first time I'm skipping a State of Play. I'll still support the studio buying the physical version." Another wrote, "Been wanting to play this for years, but if there's no physical I'm probably going to pass, sadly." A third declared, "There better be a DISC!"

Gamers continue to call on Sony to reverse its decision, signing online petitions and swarming PlayStation social media posts to express concerns about game preservation and ownership. Meanwhile, physical media supporters have called for a week-long PlayStation boycott in August to send a message that the disc phase-out is unacceptable. Other groups have also voiced complaints, with the UK's Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA) calling the decision "a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice."

Last month, Sony broke its silence on the disc discontinuation, stating it is not impacting its business now and doesn't foresee negative effects in the future. Executives have insisted Sony will not change its mind, while acknowledging "strong views" from the gaming community. Sony had previously said it was simply following consumer trends, with Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications, stating in a PlayStation Blog post, "In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only."

Sony's latest financials show an 82% digital download ratio for full game software across PS4 and PS5. Reinforcing this trend, Mat Piscatella, Senior Director and Video Game Industry Advisor at Circana, recently noted that only seven PlayStation games have sold more than 100,000 physical units in the U.S. this year, and only two sold more than 10,000 during the week ending July 11. Similarly, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two (Rockstar's parent company), defended the decision not to release GTA 6 on physical disc, arguing that for big games, discs "don't really make sense for the consumer."

While companies have occasionally reversed controversial decisions amid backlash, analysts told IGN that a Sony U-turn is unlikely. Going all-digital for new releases will increase Sony's profit per sale, especially as console sales are expected to drop due to rising costs. For a first-party game like The Last of Us, Sony keeps around 65% of the revenue from a physical copy, with 30% going to the retailer and about 5% to manufacturing. For third-party physical copies like Call of Duty, Sony earns a licensing fee of around 15%. In contrast, digital sales are much more profitable: Sony keeps 100% of revenue for first-party games sold on PlayStation Store and 30% for third-party games (roughly $21 for a $70 game).

As for Phantom Blade Zero, the State of Play will feature nearly 20 minutes of new gameplay. S-Game founder and CEO Soulframe Liang confirmed that martial arts movie star Donnie Yen appears in the game (as seen in the trailer) and has served as creative consultant since 2023, helping with combat design to deliver an authentic kung fu experience. Yen plays Mó Yuan, the protagonist's father, providing facial and motion capture.

Liang teased, "What you saw in the preorder trailer is only the beginning. Battling enemies atop a speeding wagon and crossing blades with former comrades like The Hunt are just the opening moments of Soul's journey. The Phantom Blade Zero gameplay deep dive State of Play will introduce never-before-seen characters central to our story while showing just how expressive players can be with their individual builds. We're looking forward to finally sharing more of what we've been working on."

There's also a strong rumor that a Phantom Blade Zero demo will shadow-drop alongside the State of Play. Eagle-eyed fans spotted a demo page for the game on the PlayStation Store before it was taken down, suggesting the demo could go live with the new gameplay reveal.