Some companies would have consumers believe there is no demand for physical games these days, but the Mortal Shell 2 developers are finding out just how wrong that is. Ahead of the game's Aug. 20 release, publisher Playstack has revealed that the limited stock of physical editions is almost entirely sold out.

The official Mortal Shell X account made the announcement in a thread that started by saying that demand for the physical edition has "exceeded expectations and unfortunately supply across a number of retailers has now been fully reserved."

This is a bit of a "good-news, bad-news" situation for Mortal Shell 2. Developer Cold Symmetry now knows that there is a high demand for its next game, even if the company can't meet that demand at the moment. The thread also notes that due to how close the game's release date is, it is unlikely additional copies will be available before Aug. 20. Playstack finished the thread by assuring fans that it is working with the game's distribution partner to respond to the ongoing demand, but that "there is no guarantee of a stock replenishment after launch," since this is not the company's decision.

Mortal Shell 2's physical release is exclusive to the PlayStation 5 version of the game. The special Revered Edition comes with a physical disc of the game and a collector's box. There are also a number of other goodies, including an art book, SteelBook case, art prints, and some preorder bonus skins. If you can find a copy still available (good luck with that), the Revered Edition costs $69.99.

The debate over physical versus digital games has reached new heights in recent weeks. At the beginning of July, Sony announced that it would be ending physical disc production of new games beginning in January 2028. This means the inevitable PlayStation 6 will be digital only. Just before that announcement, Sony also revealed that more than 500 movies and shows that PlayStation users had purchased digitally would be removed from the PlayStation store and people's libraries in September. It is becoming more evident to consumers that digital ownership is something of a lie, and that the only way to truly own something is to have a physical copy.

Mortal Shell 2 will be released on Aug. 20 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S.