Sony’s approach to physical games has been under fire after plans to stop producing physical editions for its first-party games starting in 2028. Now, a new incident in Brazil has sparked more concerns, with a local retailer claiming it was told to prevent customers from using platform-wide discount vouchers when purchasing the physical version of Marvel’s Wolverine.

The retailer, The Gamer Hut, sells products through Shopee in Brazil. According to a statement shared by the store, it received an “external” request that gave it two options: continue selling the physical edition of Marvel’s Wolverine while preventing customers from using Shopee’s discount coupons, or stop offering the game entirely.

The Gamer Hut chose the second option, as it didn’t want to remove a legitimate benefit provided by Shopee just to keep its pre-orders active. The store has therefore stopped taking pre-orders for the physical version of the game on the platform. Notably, Marvel’s Wolverine is a PlayStation 5 exclusive, which has already led to gamers wondering who’s behind these actions.

Is Sony behind the prohibited discounts?

Interestingly, The Gamer Hut did not identify who made the request. It also specifically clarified that Shopee was not responsible for the requirement, suggesting that the demand came from another party involved in the game’s distribution or sale.

Sony has not been officially named, but its recent actions surrounding physical game releases have naturally led to speculation that it could be behind the restriction. Another possibility is Solutions 2 Go, which handles physical software and hardware distribution in Brazil.

The situation is particularly notable because customers can apparently still find Marvel’s Wolverine available from other Brazilian retailers. The game remains listed on Mercado Livre, where promotional discounts can also reportedly be used. This has made the situation even more confusing, as there does not appear to be a broad restriction across every retailer.

For now, the incident remains based on the retailer’s account. Still, the situation is likely to attract more attention because Marvel’s Wolverine is among the upcoming PlayStation first-party games that will still receive a physical release, making any restrictions around its pricing especially noteworthy.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.