Sony cancels PSN account requirement for Helldivers 2 following massive backlash

Sony
has
announced
that
it
will
not
be
going
ahead
with
plans
to
enforce
the

mandatory
PSN
account
requirement
for
Helldivers
2
following
the
huge
community
outcry.

“Helldivers
fans
—
we’ve
heard
your
feedback
on
the
Helldivers
2
account
linking
update,”
said
Sony
on
X.
“The
May
6
update,
which
would
have
required
Steam
and
PlayStation
Network
account
linking
for
new
players
and
for
current
players
beginning
May
30,
will
not
be
moving
forward.”

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Sony
added:
“We’re
still
learning
what
is
best
for
PC
players
and
your
feedback
has
been
invaluable.
Thanks
again
for
your
continued
support
of
Helldivers
2
and
we’ll
keep
you
updated
on
future
plans.”

Sony
stated
on
Friday,
May
3rd,
that
they
would
begin
enforcing
the
need
for
a
PSN
account
on
Steam
that
was
technically
part
of
the
game
since
day
1.
Due
to
technical
errors
though,
the
need
for
an
account
had
been
waived
in
what
Sony
describes
as
a
“grace
period.”

The
backlash
was
immediate
and
intense.
Helldivers
began
punching
in
special
stratagems,
better
known
as
leaving
negative
reviews.
So
many
were
posted
that
the
game’s
rating
took
a
substantial
hit
which
it
will
now
need
to
recover
from,
although
Steam
will
sometimes
go
back
and
remove
reviews
deemed
off-topic.

One
of
the
biggest
controversies
was
that
the
PlayStation
Network
is
only
available
in
69
(nice)
countries,
whereas
Helldivers
2
was
available
on
Steam
in
far
more
regions
than
that.
Without
the
ability
to
make
an
account,
people
who
had
bought
the
game
and
been
playing
for
hundreds
of
hours
would
no
longer
be
able
to
play.

It
led
to
Steam
allowing
refunds
to
people
who
had
far
exceeded
the
usual
refund
window.

It
also
led
to
Sony
pulling
the
game
from
sale
in
over
170
regions,
a
move
which
served
only
to
stoke
the
flames
of
anger.
While
Sony
has
not
yet
talked
about
it,
the
game
will
presumably
go
back
for
sale
in
those
regions.

Developer
Arrowhead
wound
up
caught
in
the
middle
of
the
crossfire
as
it
wasn’t
their
decision
to
reactive
the
PSN
requirement.
With
that
said,
CEO
Johan
Pilestedt
did
take
on
some
of
the
responsibility,
saying:
“I
do
have
a
part
to
play.
I
am
not
blameless
in
all
this
–
it
was
my
decision
to
disable
account
linking
at
launch
so
players
could
play
the
game.
I
did
not
ensure
players
were
aware
of
the
requirement
and
we
didn’t
talk
about
it
enough.”

In
Arrowhead’s
defence,
the
Steam
store
page
did
very
clearly
list
the
need
for
a
PSN
account.
However,
many
people
understandably
took
the
lack
of
enforcement
to
mean
that
Sony
and
Arrowhead
were
fine
with
it
being
optional.
The
game
as
also
being
sold
in
regions
in
which
PSN
was
not
available.

Arrowhead
CEO
Johan
Pilestedt
took
to
X
to
commend
the
community
and
its
ability
to
collaborate.
He
also
thanked
Sony
for
making
the
decision
to
back
down
so
quickly.

Firstly,
I
am
impressed
by
the
willpower
of
the

@helldivers2
community
and
your
ability
to
collaborate.
Secondly
I
want
to
thank
our
partners
and
friends
at

@PlayStation
for
quickly
and
effectively
making
the
decision
to
leave
PSN
linking
optional.
We
together
want
to
set
a
new…

https://t.co/2rayksgH1v

—
Pilestedt
(@Pilestedt)

May
6,
2024