PlayStation Reverses Policy on Helldivers 2 Account Requirement
Unpopular Policy Walked Back After Backlash
PlayStation has reversed course on the Helldivers 2 PSN account requirement, walking back the unpopular policy after a weekend-long backlash that included tens of thousands of negative reviews, some of which spread to Sony’s other Steam games.
PlayStation’s Official Announcement
“Helldivers fans — we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. 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,” PlayStation wrote on its official account.
“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.”
Steam Players No Longer Require PSN Account Linking
PlayStation’s decision means that Helldivers 2 players on Steam won’t have to link a PSN account in order to play. The unpopular policy, which would have seen new players confronted with a mandatory login beginning this week, resulted in Helldivers 2 being delisted in around 177 countries. Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt, clearly frustrated over the controversy, posted, “Waking up to the sunshine of yesterday replaced with a dreary drizzle and shivering winds makes me reflect on how I spent my time those rare few moments when all was perfect.”
Efforts Towards Finding Solutions
Pilestedt said Sunday that Arrowhead was “talking solutions” with PlayStation, which apparently led to the decision to not move forward with the policy. Pilestedt also shed more light on the decision-making behind the scenes, admitting that it was his decision to disable account linking at launch so that players could play the game.
Embracing Accountability
“I do have a part to play. I am not blameless in all of this – it was my decision to disable account linking at launch so that players could play the game. I did not ensure players were aware of the requirement, and we didn’t talk about it enough,” Pilestedt tweeted. He further mentioned that they knew about the requirement for about 6 months before the game’s launch.
Apologies and Review Bombing
The Arrowhead CEO, Johan Pilestedt, has been actively apologizing to fans on social media and has expressed his commitment to making a good game. However, due to the controversy, Helldivers 2 has received overwhelming negative reviews on Steam, dropping its overall rating to “Mixed” after more than 200,000 negative reviews were posted.
Focusing on the Game
Following PlayStation’s decision, fans expressed hope that future games would not include similar requirements. Many also urged players not to direct their anger towards Arrowhead. With the account linking no longer mandatory, attention can now return to Helldivers 2 itself. The game has been one of the most popular releases of 2024 due to its unique approach to live service storytelling. In fact, it has already sold an estimated 8 million units as of March 2024.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. [Note: Remove any reference to the original writer and website].
