Crunchyroll Shuts Down Online Store, Leaving Anime Fans Disappointed

Concerns that Crunchyroll would significantly reduce its manga and anime offerings after moving to a paywalled model have been confirmed. The revamped store is missing physical books and most of the Blu-rays that fans previously enjoyed, sparking considerable frustration online, especially in light of Sony’s broader shift away from physical media ahead of the PS6.

On August 18, as noted by MangaAlerts on social media, the Crunchyroll store re-emerged following its transition to a paywalled marketplace exclusively for Mega and Ultimate Crunchyroll subscribers. The experience now resembles wandering through a GameStop in a struggling mall, with much of the beloved content gone and the remaining items primarily being anime-related merchandise rather than actual manga or Blu-rays.

Crunchyroll has been contacted for further details.

According to MangaAlerts, Crunchyroll has removed or delisted all “manga, light novels, manhwa, & danmei” from its online store, and it remains uncertain if these products will make a return. Currently, the only categories available on the site are New, Accessories, Apparel, Collectibles, Games, Home Entertainment, and Music. However, don’t get your hopes up for games, as the sole offering at the moment is a Naruto-themed Clue board game.

As highlighted, there are only 10 CDs or records available under Music and fewer than 400 Blu-ray and DVD anime sets in the Home Entertainment section, with music CDs included in that count. This represents a significant reduction in the physical anime selection compared to what was previously offered. Reports indicate that the only remaining Blu-ray anime titles are those owned or distributed by Sony’s Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Aniplex.

While it’s possible this situation is temporary and that Sony/Crunchyroll may expand the store’s offerings in the future, many anime fans view this as part of Sony’s ongoing campaign against physical media. The company seems to prefer a subscription model for Crunchyroll over one-time purchases of physical anime collections.

Additionally, there’s considerable backlash against Sony for acquiring The Right Stuf International, a well-known anime web store, in 2023 and subsequently merging it with Crunchyroll. At the time, there were concerns that this could lead to a future where purchasing anime becomes more difficult, and now, in 2026, that fear appears to be materializing.

Unsurprisingly, Sony is facing a wave of criticism online, with many users expressing their discontent over the announcement that it will cease production of new physical PlayStation games in 2028. This has led to a flood of comments calling for boycotts every time Sony posts or streams, and the recent Crunchyroll developments are unlikely to improve the situation.