PlayStation took back the free game it accidentally released

PlayStation has withdrawn the game, which it previously offered for free in October, restricting access to players who managed to add it to their library without paying. Withdrawal of access appears to be a corrective move by PlayStation to cover up a pricing error on the PlayStation Store for a short period only.

It's a game that's causing a stir right now Shadow Tactics: Shogun's BladeWhich was developed by Mimimi Productions and first jumped to PlayStation 4 in 2017. Set after the unification of war-torn Japan, the game puts players in control of a small team of stealthy characters as they use their skills to hide, sabotage and assassinate targets. While its initial arrival didn't involve a ton of fanfare, it has impressed professional critics and gamers alike, as its approval rating of 94 percent on Steam can attest.

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PlayStation pulls back the free games it offered in October

But some players got it Shadow Tactics: Shogun's Blade For free a few months ago they are realizing that it is no longer accessible in their libraries, which seems like a deliberate move by PlayStation to correct a mistake in the PlayStation Store. The game was said to be free on PlayStation on October 17th, which seems to have been done in error, as the time to claim the free game was not officially announced, and players only had a few hours to claim it before the price went up again. There have been no moves by any player to withdraw the game within that short time frame, new reports are showing Shadow Tactics: Shogun's Blade No longer playable for players who got it for free by mistake.

There doesn't seem to be an official public announcement from PlayStation about the game being withdrawn from players who got it for free in October, and there's no real clear indication of how many players are being affected by the apparent mistake. However, some players of the Feudal Japan-based strategy game may already know they've lost access. Shadow Tactics: Shogun's BladeThere have been reports of them receiving unsolicited refund requests from PlayStation bearing the game's name and showing a refund amount of $0.00.

Fortunately for those who missed out on access, the return of PlayStation's free games comes at an opportune time, as the PlayStation Holiday Sale is currently offering deals on over 6,000 different products, including games and add-ons. with Shadow Tactics: Shogun's Blade Normally priced at $39.99, PlayStation's annual sale is currently offering the game at 90 percent off, reducing its price to just $3.99. This discount offer will be good until January 22, 2026, at 3 a.m. EST, so anyone who picked up the game for free in October has plenty of time to scrape together some money if they want to keep it in their personal libraries.

It's not the first time in history that a game vendor has retracted it after giving it away for free, but the two-month gap between the mistake and the fix makes it stand out a bit. Previous related incidents in recent history include one about a year ago, in which Humble Bundle revoked free keys it apparently shouldn't have issued. Indiana Jones and the Great Circlee, as well as an incident in September in which Silent Hill f Purchasers on Steam were accidentally upgraded to the Deluxe version for free.