Sony has launched a new incubation program that puts entertainment at the centre of its blockchain plans. The Sony Onchain Entertainment Incubation Program opened applications on October 29, 2026, and invites startups and creators to build entertainment products using Soneium, the Sony blockchain network.
The program targets a wide range of entertainment, including PlayStation games, anime, and digital collectibles. It is aimed at projects that can connect content, communities, and digital assets in ways that encourage sustained participation, rather than one-off technical experiments.
Key Takeaways
- Sony opened applications on October 29, 2026, for the Sony Onchain Entertainment Incubation Program, with submissions accepted through December 2026.
- The program covers console, PC and mobile games, anime, manga, music, films, esports, immersive experiences, and creator communities.
- Selected projects can receive technical, marketing, business development and community support, with any investment subject to separate evaluation.
What Sony is looking for
The program covers far more than traditional blockchain gaming. Its target categories include console, PC and mobile games, anime, manga, music, films, esports, immersive experiences, and creator communities. Sony is also seeking projects that use blockchain to change how audiences interact with entertainment intellectual property.
Potential applications include digital collectibles, fan communities, merchandise, and experiences that let users participate more directly in creator-led ecosystems. Applicants must demonstrate a clear connection between entertainment, intellectual property, and onchain technology. Projects must also support Soneium, although multichain approaches are welcome if the network is properly integrated.
The focus on games and fan communities comes as the wider technology industry continues to test how artificial intelligence and new platforms reshape entertainment. That broader shift is also visible in other recent technology stories, including the US examination of Nvidia’s Hugging Face deal and Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro.
For now, the clearest takeaway is that Sony wants more entertainment businesses built around Soneium.
Games, anime and fan communities
PlayStation games are explicitly included in the program’s target categories, and independent startups and creators are invited to develop entertainment projects compatible with Soneium. Sony has not, however, announced any specific PlayStation crypto integration, and that distinction matters for anyone reading too much into the announcement.
Anime is another notable area of interest, reflecting the overlap between entertainment franchises and highly engaged fan communities. The program explicitly includes anime and character intellectual property, creating room for developers to explore blockchain-based collectibles and other fan experiences.
The same logic applies to music, films and esports. In each case, the question Sony appears to be asking is not only whether a product can use a blockchain, but whether it can give fans a reason to return, participate, and stay connected to a franchise or creator over time.
- Applications opened: October 29, 2026
- Applications accepted through: December 2026
- Screening and selection: November 2026 through March 2027
- Target areas: games, anime, manga, music, films, esports, immersive experiences and creator communities
- Support on offer: technical infrastructure, marketing, business development and community-building help, plus potential investment consideration
What selected projects receive
Selected projects can receive technical infrastructure, marketing and business development support, and community-building opportunities. They can also receive co-creation opportunities with Sony Group, and potential investment consideration.
Sony says the program aims to move projects beyond technical experiments toward entertainment products that deliver tangible value to users. That wording points to a practical test: a project should be understandable as an entertainment product first, with its onchain element serving the experience rather than replacing it.
Applications will undergo screening and selection from November 2026 through March 2027, with selected startups beginning to receive support on a rolling basis. Sony says participation does not guarantee investment, which remains subject to separate evaluation.
A track record to build on
Sony has already built an incubation track record through two earlier initiatives. Soneium Spark selected 32 projects from more than 1,700 applications in 2024, while Soneium For All selected 11 projects from more than 250 applications in 2025.
The new program narrows that ecosystem-building effort toward entertainment experiences. That narrower focus may help applicants understand what Sony wants, but it also raises the bar: a strong entertainment idea and a clear intellectual-property connection matter as much as the underlying technology.
The timing also fits a period of heavy investment in computing and AI infrastructure across the technology sector, as shown by Samsung’s record quarterly profit on the AI chip boom. For entertainment startups, the challenge is different: turning that infrastructure into products that audiences actually want to use.
What to Watch Next
What to watch next is which projects are selected from November 2026 through March 2027, whether any of them produce entertainment products that deliver tangible value to users, and whether PlayStation games or anime projects lead the first wave. For now, the clearest takeaway is that Sony wants more entertainment businesses built around Soneium, without yet announcing a specific PlayStation crypto integration.