Sony PlayStation has reversed the requirement to link a PSN account for playing Helldivers 2 due to a massive fan uproar. The announcement was made on X, which mentioned that the decision not to proceed with the linking update is based on user feedback. Here are the details.
It wrapped up the announcement by saying, “We’re still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable.”
Helldivers 2 PSN Account Link Controversy Explained
Last week, Sony officially announced that a PSN account is required to buy Helldivers 2. The update would have come into effect from May 6 (for new buyers) and May 30 (for existing players). The deadline to link the PSN accounts was June 4.
This meant even if someone did not have a PlayStation, they would need to create a PSN account to keep playing the game.
It is not hard to guess that such a requirement left PC gamers disappointed and angry. The same is evident from the recent influx of negative reviews for Helldivers 2 on Steam. The game received over 200,000 negative reviews, which led to Recent Reviews status being Overwhelmingly Negative.
Moreover, Helldivers 2 was delisted from Steam in 177 countries for the same reason as shared on X by SteamDB, a reliable account for tracking all things Steam and Valve. Japan was the only exception as it has a separate localised game version.
Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead Studios, also revealed on X that he was in talks with Sony PlayStation regarding the Helldivers 2 controversy, especially for non-PSN countries. It appears like this and the backlash turned out to be fruitful!
