Sony’s PSN Wall Locks 132 Countries Out of Marvel Tokon
While the fighting game community braces for August 6, players across Africa, Asia, and Latin America can’t even buy it on PC. Meanwhile, a beloved post-apocalyptic MMO edges closer to shutdown.
The week of July 4, 2026, has not been easy for gaming fans watching Sony’s decisions unfold. Days after Sony confirmed physical disc production ends in January 2028, a fresh controversy surfaced on Steam: Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls — the most anticipated tag-team fighter in years, developed by Arc System Works and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment — is blocked in 132 countries due to the game’s PlayStation Network account requirement.
The discovery came through SteamDB, which lists “Not available in 132 countries” on the game’s page. Players in those regions report an error message when attempting to open the Steam store page. Sony has not issued an official statement. Separately, PIONER — a post-apocalyptic MMO FPS from GFA Games — is facing a real bankruptcy threat following a court petition filed on May 29 in Moscow, compounded by a complete halt in updates since early May 2026.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls — Region-Locked Before It Even Launches
Arc System Works built the game. Sony owns the franchise. The result: a mandatory PSN account link is required to play on PC — and in any country where PlayStation Network isn’t available, the game doesn’t appear on Steam at all.
The blocked list of 132 countries is identical to the one that appeared on Helldivers 2’s SteamDB page in 2024. That list includes Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Vietnam, and more — countries home to some of the most active fighting game communities in the world.
The game is a 2.5D 4v4 tag-team fighter with a 20-character launch roster. It includes crossplay between PC and PS5, which appears to be the reason Sony mandates a PSN link. However, the game also has a single-player story mode, offline arcade mode, and local multiplayer — none of which require PlayStation’s online servers.
PIONER MMO — From Early Access Ambition to Bankruptcy Petition
GFA Games released PIONER into Steam Early Access in December 2025. The post-apocalyptic MMO FPS drew comparisons to STALKER, Fallout 76, and Escape from Tarkov. Initial reception was cautiously positive, and the studio had a 2026 roadmap ready — story expansions, mechanic overhauls, new events.
Then, on May 29, 2026, the Russian Federal Tax Service for the Kirov Region filed a court petition demanding GFA Games file for bankruptcy, logged on Fedresurs. The studio had already been under investigation for unpaid salaries, frozen bank accounts, and mounting debts since April 2026.
The last major update on Steam was May 2nd. The last Steam news post was May 30 — a brief note about an upcoming weapon called “Inferno.” The game’s official website news section now returns a 404 error. Steam reviews have moved to Mostly Negative.
Where Can’t You Buy Marvel Tōkon on PC?
Filter by region. All 132 blocked countries are territories where PlayStation Network accounts cannot be created. Sony has not confirmed the reason officially.
Shown
* This list is based on countries where PlayStation Network is confirmed unavailable, cross-referenced with SteamDB data. Exact totals may vary as Sony has not issued an official statement. Scroll within the grid to see all entries.
What Players Need to Know
Tap each item to expand the details. Sony has not confirmed or denied the block at time of publication.
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Why is the game blocked in 132 countries?
The SteamDB page for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls lists “Not available in 132 countries.” All 132 countries match territories where PlayStation Network accounts cannot officially be created. The game requires a linked PSN account to play on PC — likely due to its crossplay feature between PC and PS5. No PSN, no purchase. Sony has not confirmed this in writing, but the pattern is identical to the SteamDB restrictions that appeared on Helldivers 2’s page in 2024. -
Didn’t Sony fix this with Helldivers 2?
Yes — but only after the game received over 100,000 negative Steam reviews and sustained public backlash. Sony reversed the mandatory PSN account-linking policy for Helldivers 2 entirely. Several PlayStation PC releases since then launched without the requirement. Marvel Tōkon appears to be bringing it back, though the game is still a month from release and Sony could reverse course before August 6. Arc System Works has not publicly commented. -
Does the PSN requirement affect single-player modes?
The game includes a roughly 10-hour single-player story mode, an episode mode, offline arcade mode, and local multiplayer — none of which require Sony’s online servers. Despite this, the PSN link appears to apply to the entire product on PC. Players in affected countries cannot purchase the game at all, even to use offline modes. On PS5, players in unsupported regions have historically worked around restrictions by creating an account registered to another country — but this isn’t possible on Steam. -
What about the fighting game community specifically?
Push Square’s editor noted that Pakistan — “home to about a third of the best Tekken players in the world” — is on the blocked list, as is the Dominican Republic, which has produced some of the world’s top Street Fighter competitors. EVO Morocco is planned for 2027, and Morocco is also currently region-locked on PC. The game is the first Marvel fighting title since Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite in 2017 and was one of the most anticipated FGC releases of 2026. -
How does this connect to Sony’s disc phase-out?
On July 1, 2026, Sony confirmed via the PlayStation Blog that physical disc production for all new PlayStation games will end in January 2028. The same announcement was accompanied by news of PS3 and PS Vita store closures. The Marvel Tokon block arrived days later, adding to a concentrated stretch of negative sentiment around Sony’s platform decisions. Read our full coverage of Sony’s disc phase-out here.
PIONER at a Glance: Where Things Stand
GFA Games released PIONER into Steam Early Access in December 2025. By mid-2026, every indicator has turned.
PIONER’s Road to Silence
Tap any entry to expand the details. From beta hope to bankruptcy petition in under 18 months.
The Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls situation was covered across gaming forums and social media after the SteamDB page update surfaced on July 3–4, 2026. Push Square’s report, shared via the @pushsquare X post, drew the comparisons to Helldivers 2’s earlier controversy. Arc System Works had not commented publicly at time of writing. Whether Sony chooses to adjust the PSN requirement before the game’s August 6 launch on PS5 and PC — available to pre-purchase at $59.99 — remains to be seen.
Regarding PIONER, the court petition on Fedresurs was documented on May 29, 2026 by the Russian Federal Tax Service for the Kirov Region. The studio has made no public statement. The game remains available on Steam in Early Access as of publication, though updates have stopped. Players interested in other titles on PlayStation’s upcoming slate can check the July 2026 PlayStation Plus Essential games lineup, which includes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, For the King II, and CrossCode. More of Sony’s broader platform decisions were covered in our reporting on the delayed PS Plus July reveal and the cancelled PS1 prototype history.