Sony winds down its merch shop as fans rush final buys
Sony’s PlayStation Gear Store—home to licensed apparel and collectibles from franchises like The Last of Us, God of War, and Astro Bot—is closing on December 31, 2025. A notice on the site says customer support will remain available, but all sales are now final. The move lands as gaming companies streamline e-commerce operations, consolidate brand stores, and lean more heavily on third-party retail for physical merchandise. For fans, the near-term effect is a scramble to pick up limited runs before inventory disappears. For Sony, shuttering a niche shop may cut overhead and simplify logistics ahead of a busy release calendar and the holiday rush.

The closure also reflects a wider shift in game merchandising. As digital add-ons and in-game cosmetics swell, publishers face tough choices about where to invest marketing dollars. Merchandise still matters for community and brand identity, but it works best when tied to events, creator collabs, or platform-wide campaigns. Expect official partners to absorb demand with capsule collections and convention drops, while Etsy makers and resellers thrive on scarcity. If Sony keeps a footprint, look for a pivot toward tighter curation, timed drops, and direct-to-fan campaigns bundled with digital perks. For players, the practical advice is simple: verify sizes, check return policies (there may be none), and screenshot order confirmations. Once the store goes dark at year-end, customer support will be the only official channel—so late exchanges are unlikely. In the longer run, Sony can leverage PlayStation’s social channels and PlayStation Direct to highlight new merch without running a full store, mirroring how other entertainment brands blend digital fandom with limited physical goods.