PlayStation appears to be phasing out its former mascot character, Sackboy, from official marketing materials. Gaming enthusiast Realradec recently pointed out that Sackboy has been noticeably absent from the PlayStation Productions banner that plays before the new Until Dawn movie, while other iconic characters like Astro Bot, Nathan Drake from Uncharted, and Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn remain featured.
Fan Reaction to the Mascot’s Disappearance
The gaming community has expressed disappointment at this development. Realradec stated that Sackboy is no longer present in the PlayStation Productions intro, comparing it to a 2023 version from Gran Turismo. They expressed dislike for what they called this era of Sackboy erasure.
Once considered PlayStation’s golden child and brand mascot—similar to how Sonic represents Sega and Mario embodies Nintendo—Sackboy seems to be getting sidelined to make room for newer faces. His last starring role in a PlayStation game was in the well-received 2020 title Sackboy: A Big Adventure.
Mixed Community Response
The community reaction has been varied. One social media user lamented that PlayStation was removing Sackboy and expressed concern about putting him “out on the street like that.” Another questioned the decision, noting Sackboy’s recent appearance in a Secret Level episode.
Some fans expressed humor about the situation, with one remarking that he is no longer Sackboy but “Sadboy” now. Others questioned why Astro Bot and Sackboy couldn’t coexist in PlayStation’s marketing.
Some players took a more pragmatic view, suggesting that Sackboy’s removal from the PS Productions logo doesn’t necessarily indicate anything significant, comparing it to how DreamWorks occasionally rotates characters in their logo montage.
Other PlayStation News
In related PlayStation news, 22 games will be removed from the PlayStation Plus library next month. These include popular titles like Grand Theft Auto 5, Payday 2: Crimewave Edition, and notably the last playable versions of the first-party titles Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2. This means these Resistance titles will become completely unavailable on modern consoles.
On a more positive note, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download Ark: Survival Ascended, Balatro, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun at no additional cost from May 6 to June 2.