The PS Blackout had no measurable effect on player engagement in the United States, according to Circana executive director Mat Piscatella. Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker data showed “no significant change at all in player count or engagement in our tracking” for the week ending 5 September 2026, based on the data shared by Piscatella.
What Circana’s PS Blackout data measured
The tracker measures weekly active users, not concurrent players. The figures covered the top 10 and top 20 titles in the US market, so they do not provide a complete count of every PlayStation user or every game played during the protest.
That distinction limits what the data can prove, but it still gives the campaign a difficult result: the tracked engagement figures did not show a meaningful change during the week that followed the blackout.
Why PlayStation users organised the blackout
The seven-day PS Blackout ran from 23 to 30 August, after groups including DoesItPlay called on players to stop logging in, playing games and spending money on Sony’s platforms. The campaign followed Sony’s announcement that it would end physical disc production for new PlayStation games from January 2028.
The protest was aimed at Sony’s shift towards digital distribution and the loss of physical ownership, resale and preservation options. Sony said the change reflected consumer behaviour, while supporters of discs argued that digital purchases can disappear if storefronts close or access is withdrawn.
The Circana figures do not measure every part of the protest. They do not show how many people avoided purchases, signed petitions or changed their opinion of Sony. They show that the tracked US player activity did not move significantly during the period covered.
The result also does not mean every participant ignored the campaign. It means the protest was too small, too brief or too unevenly distributed to produce a measurable shift in Circana’s player-engagement data.
For now, Sony’s physical-media decision remains in place. The company’s new PlayStation games are expected to move to digital-only releases from January 2028, while existing games and discs are not affected by the announcement.
What did Circana’s PS Blackout data measure?
Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker measured weekly active users among the top 10 and top 20 titles in the US market. It did not measure concurrent players or every PlayStation user.
When did the PS Blackout take place?
The seven-day PS Blackout ran from 23 to 30 August 2026, with organisers asking players to avoid logging in, playing games and spending money on PlayStation platforms.
Does the data prove nobody took part in the PS Blackout?
No. It only shows that Circana’s tracked US player activity did not change significantly. It does not measure every participant, purchase decision, petition signature or change in opinion.
