Reported affected titles included:
Some of these games were reportedly unreleased or not available for download on the PlayStation Store at the time, leading users to suspect a deeper back-end issue rather than a simple display bug .
Many affected users reported having two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled, with no unknown devices linked to their accounts and no obvious signs of account takeover — yet the phantom games kept appearing . This pattern led to widespread speculation that the issue was a PSN backend or data-integrity vulnerability rather than individual account hacks
.
Social media user Poncho theorized that PSN uses separate backend systems for purchases, trophies, and the public-facing game library, and that someone may have been abusing an API endpoint to write game-library data to accounts without proper authorization checks . Content creator Colin Moriarty, who had recently discussed serious PSN account concerns, publicly criticized Sony’s handling of the situation and said the incident reflected poorly on PSN’s overall systems
.
In response to the glitch, Sony took down the "Recently Played" section across the PS5 dashboard, the official PlayStation website, and the PlayStation App . Users reported the section became entirely blank
.
Sony also confirmed on its official PlayStation Service Status page that "Gaming and social" services were experiencing a disruption affecting "PS5, other" platforms . The status message said users might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features, and that Sony was working to resolve the issue as soon as possible
.
Notably, the status page categorized the problem under "Trophies" as the closest applicable category, since no specific label existed for the "Recently Played" glitch .
By June 18, 2026, some PS5 owners began reporting that their recently played lists were returning to normal, though other users were still waiting for a full fix . Some users also reported that after the "Recently Played" feature was wiped, legitimate games they owned also disappeared from the section, though they remained downloadable from their library, suggesting the fix may have been a broad reset rather than a targeted correction
.
As of the latest reports, Sony had not issued an official explanation for what caused the glitch . The company had not confirmed whether it was a backend API exploit, a database integrity failure, or something else
. One user who contacted Sony support was reportedly told there was "no foul play" and that it was "just a technical glitch" — a claim that some community members disputed
.
The incident raises ongoing questions about PSN's data integrity and security, especially given that the PS5's "Recently Played" feature had been the subject of a similar, if less widespread, exploit in March 2026, when users manipulated title IDs to show Grand Theft Auto VI as a recently played game . At that time, Rockstar Games and Sony worked to fix the exploit
. Whether the June 2026 incident is related to the same backend vulnerability remains unclear.
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