By Dexerto | Created at 2026-08-12 17:55:24 | Updated at 2026-08-12 21:10:31
4 hours ago
Stop Killing Games has officially joined a $457 million collective lawsuit accusing Sony of abusing its control over the PlayStation Store to force digital buyers to pay an alleged “Sony Tax.”
The consumer movement launched in 2024 with the goal of preventing publishers from making purchased games unplayable after ending support. Its European campaign secured almost 1.3 million verified signatures, although the European Commission recently declined to introduce the law it requested.
Stop Killing Games is now expanding its efforts by backing an existing lawsuit against Sony alongside physical game preservation group DoesItPlay?
Stop Killing Games backs Fair PlayStation lawsuit
On August 10, the groups released a video titled “It’s time to sue Sony, join us,” announcing their support for the Fair PlayStation lawsuit filed by Dutch nonprofit Stichting Massaschade & Consument.
“We’re putting our full weight behind SM&C’s case, with the Dutch court,” Stop Killing Games said in the official announcement.
Despite the campaign’s wording, Stop Killing Games is not listed as the claimant in the court documents. The lawsuit was initiated by Stichting Massaschade & Consument in June 2025, with SKG and DoesItPlay? now supporting the action to help demonstrate that the foundation represents the interests of gamers.
The case covers an estimated 1.7 million people living in the Netherlands who own a PS4 or PS5, have a PlayStation Network account and purchased something through the PlayStation Store on or after November 29, 2013.
According to the foundation’s court filing, economic consultants estimated damages of €435.4 million, approximately $457 million, including interest.
That estimate assumes Sony should have collected a 12% commission rather than the 30% rate alleged in the lawsuit. The filing also claims digital PlayStation games cost an average of 47% more than equivalent physical copies because Sony prevents competing digital stores from operating on its consoles.
The foundation wants the court to order Sony to end the allegedly unlawful practices and compensate affected PlayStation customers.
Sony’s decision to stop producing discs for new PlayStation games in January 2028 was announced more than a year after the lawsuit began, but campaigners argue it strengthens their case.
Without physical releases, customers will lose access to used games and competing retail prices. Sony has said new releases will remain available through the PlayStation Store and participating retailers selling digital codes, but those codes cannot be resold in the same way as discs.
The Dutch action is separate from the PlayStation Store lawsuit previously filed in the UK, which Dexerto reported was once valued at approximately $7.9 billion.
Sony has not been found liable in the Dutch case. A June 29 hearing focused on jurisdiction, applicable law and whether the foundation is eligible to represent the proposed group. Both sides have until October 21 to respond to several related Dutch Supreme Court decisions before the court issues an interim ruling.
