Delisted in June: Following a New Sony Licensing Deal, PS2 Classic Remake Fantavision 202X Returns Today on PS5 and Steam
Pulled from digital storefronts at the start of the summer after its original trademark contract expired, Fantavision 202X is officially back on sale starting today, Friday, October 23, 2026. Japanese developer and publisher Cosmo Machia Inc. has announced a renewed licensing agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment, bringing this modern revival of the beloved PlayStation 2 launch title back to PlayStation 5 (with full PlayStation VR2 support) and PC via Steam alongside a permanent digital price reduction.
A Extended Licensing Agreement Between Cosmo Machia and Sony Interactive Entertainment
Back in June 2026, arcade puzzle and virtual reality fans watched Fantavision 202X vanish from both the PlayStation Store and Steam. Because the original Fantavision intellectual property belongs to Sony Interactive Entertainment, Cosmo Machia had developed and published the 2023 revival under a fixed-term trademark licensing deal. When that agreement lapsed in early June, digital sales were halted worldwide, leaving only existing owners able to redownload the game from their libraries.
In an official statement shared on its Japanese portal and on the game's Steam news hub, Cosmo Machia confirmed that a new contract has been signed with Sony: "We are pleased to announce that our licensing agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment for FANTAVISION 202X has been extended, in line with the expectations of our fans. Consequently, digital sales for the title will resume on Steam, effective October 23 at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time)", with the PlayStation Store listing rolling back out on the same day.
Check Fantavision 202X deals on Allkeyshop→
Permanent Digital Price Drop as Physical Editions Go Out of Print
To thank players for their vocal support during the four-month hiatus, Cosmo Machia is pairing the relisting with a permanent price drop on the standard digital edition across PS5 and PC. That lower entry point should give the puzzle-action title a second wind after its original 2023 launch price kept some curious newcomers on the sidelines.
At the same time, the studio noted that future distribution will be strictly digital. Physical PS5 boxed copies (originally released in Japan and Asia by Cosmo Machia and in Europe via Red Art Games) will not be reprinted and are officially discontinued once remaining retail inventory sells out. At a time when strong physical disc sales on PS5 for titles like Astro Bot continue to highlight collector demand for boxed media, sealed copies of Fantavision 202X are set to become scarce shelf pieces.
From a Year-2000 PS2 Particle Showcase to 4K Virtual Reality
Originally released in March 2000 in Japan and October 2000 in North America as a first-party PlayStation 2 launch game from Sony Computer Entertainment, Fantavision holds a distinct place in console history. Built to show off the 128-bit hardware's real-time lighting and particle rendering alongside heavier launch hitters like Tekken Tag Tournament, TimeSplitters, and Dynasty Warriors 2, the puzzle game challenged players to lasso and detonate matching trios of rising fireworks shells to trigger high-scoring Daisy Chains and Starmine bonus rounds.
Launched in February 2023 alongside the PlayStation VR2 headset on PS5 before arriving on Steam in late April 2023, Fantavision 202X preserves that meditative yet frantic core loop while rebuilding the night skies in 4K using Unreal Engine. Playable either on a standard display with a controller or in full VR using tracked motion controls, it also includes a dedicated Replay mode that lets players watch their custom fireworks shows from adjustable camera angles.
My Take
Seeing a delisted game like Fantavision 202X return to digital storefronts is a genuinely welcome twist in an industry where expired licensing contracts usually mean permanent disappearance. In an era where preservation enthusiasts have even turned to a modded PS5 just to run original PS2 and PS3 discs, the fact that Cosmo Machia and Sony Interactive Entertainment went back to the table to renew the license for a niche PS2 launch revival,and lowered its digital price in the process,deserves credit. Especially inside a PS VR2 or PC VR headset, its fireworks chaining mechanics remain a mesmerizing arcade experience.
Based on the outskirts of New York City, Chaya 'Chayane' spent five years studying software engineering in Montreal before returning to her home state. A Full-Stack developer and Deep Learning AI architecture researcher, she explores neural networks and algorithmic optimization while engineering data pipelines for Retrocharting and Gamescharting alongside Grimtag. A gamer for over 20 years and an avid collector of Nintendo history and The Legend of Zelda, she explored World of Warcraft's Azeroth before bringing her deep technical background to video game analysis.
