Sony is reportedly planning to drop their PlayStation Network and PSN branding for their online services.
Insider Gaming read an email Sony sent to developers informing them of this news. The email says this:
We’d like to inform you that Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has strategically decided to phase out the terms “PlayStation Network” and “PSN” across our platform in order to properly capture the breadth of our evolving digital services.
…To simplify and unify branding, the terms “PlayStation Network” and “PSN” will be phased out across all SIE assets by September 2026. All features currently associated with PSN, including core network features such as friends, multiplayer, and trophies, will remain unaffected and available to players.
Sony launched PlayStation Network as part of the PlayStation 3 launch in November 2006 in Japan.
In 2012, Sony converted PSN accounts to Sony Entertainment Network Accounts, and in 2015, they shifted back to PSN as the ‘comprehensive digital entertainment brand.’
So Sony has made changes to PSN before but the brand stuck around. It remains to be seen what will replace the PSN name moving forward.