New information clears up some confusion around an incoming change to Crunchyroll's online store, which will see some features locked behind a new subscription paywall. Fan-tier subscribers will still be able to "browse" the store following an August 14 shift, but they will not actually be allowed to buy specific items.
A source close to the situation explains that "access to shop" the new Crunchyroll Store will be removed from Fan subscriptions in August alongside all benefits for discounts and free shipping.
"This new experience, which will replace the current Crunchyroll Store, will allow Fan members to browse and Mega and Ultimate Fans to purchase," GamesRadar+ is told.
Anyone without a Crunchyroll subscription won't be able to browse or buy from the "new shopping experience" at all.
The rub is that, on top of accessing the Crunchyroll anime library, Fan subs will be paying $10 a month to window shop – that is, to see what they could buy if they upgraded their subscription. The proposed shift has been pretty muddy so far, and at this point I'd just like to see the new store portal for myself.
GamesRadar+ also asked how the store's inventory may change, specifically with regards to manga, novels, and Blu-ray, as collectibles and merchandise have been much more heavily emphasized in posts about the new curated shop. With Crunchyroll now under the Sony umbrella and the company pushing to phase out game discs on PlayStation, there have been concerns about the future availability of physical media from the store, especially after the Crunchyroll Store absorbed the similar shop Right Stuf in 2023 and reduced the options for this space.
All buyers will be able to access the store's existing inventory, amid a summer discount flurry which includes "final sale" prices on many times, until the updated shop arrives next month. I am personally not optimistic about the once-robust selection of books and discs being replenished or expanded going forward.
