We’re roughly a month before launch and special edition physical copies of Mortal Shell 2 are already impossible to come by. Demand for the steel-case disc version of the game on PlayStation 5 is so strong that publisher Playstack is already apologizing to fans who probably won’t be able to get one when it comes out in August. People are already pointing to it as an example of how physical games still matter for passionate fans.
“Demand for the PlayStation 5-exclusive physical Revered Edition of Mortal Shell 2 has exceeded expectations and unfortunately supply across a number of retailers has now been fully reserved, meaning that in a growing number of markets fans are unable to pre-purchase a copy of the game,” Playstack posted on X on July 16. “We sincerely apologize if you were planning on pre-ordering the Revered Edition and it is no longer available in your territory.”
Something something 85% digital.
My digital nutsack, Sony is fucking lying. https://t.co/ImHtvZRWiM
— Rurikhan (@Rurikhan) July 16, 2026
Mortal Shell 2, the sequel to the 2020 action-RPG from Cold Symmetry, is set to release on August 20. While the game is of course available digitally across console and PC, many hardcore fans are eager to get the Revered Edition which comes with a physical art book and other goodies. It’s $70 compared to the digital version’s $50, a difference plenty are clearly happy to pay. Revered Edition copies are already being listed for well above the sticker price on eBay.
No one is expecting Sony to change course for small but vocal fanbases around double AA releases, and there is a standard physical version of Mortal Shell 2 some players will likely still be able to buy on launch day instead. But at a time when the PlayStation account continues to get hammered over the unpopular end of disc-based games heading into the PS6 era, some are pointing to Mortal Shell 2 as the perfect example of why physical is still relevant.
“This is ultimately how I thought physical media was going to go,” wrote Niko Partners research and insights director Daniel Ahmad. “Limited edition physical disc at a higher price than the standard digital only base game. Granted this is overall a supply issue rather than demand, but it does show this model works and could continue working.”