Helldivers 2 PC players erupt in outrage over mandatory PlayStation Network (PSN) linking. Here’s the full story.
Helldivers 2 is facing a massive backlash from its PC player base after publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that all Steam users will soon be forced to link their accounts to a PlayStation Network account.
Read More: 7 Best Stratagems in Helldivers 2 to Get Advantages in Missions
Do This or Else
According to SIE, as of May 6th, all new Helldivers 2 players on Steam must connect to a PSN account before playing. Existing players have a bit more time, but will be required to link accounts by June 4th.
I assume you did not read this when you launched the game then pic.twitter.com/P2QRwBaYtp
— PhineasJack (@PhineasJack67) May 3, 2024Sony claims this PSN linking is “critical” for “safety and security”, allowing them to ban abusive players and handle appeals. But the game’s community is furiously pushing back.
A Flood of Negativity
Within hours of the announcement, Helldivers 2’s Steam page was inundated with over 14,000 negative reviews from angry players. The game’s “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating plummeted as comments piled on raging about the surprise PSN requirement.
“I paid $40 for this and got well over 100 hours, but I will not be making a PS account,” one player declared. “I hope this kills the player count. It’ll be the only thing that will make Sony reconsider.”
Locked Out?
A major concern is that PSN is unavailable in many countries where Helldivers 2 is sold on Steam. Players in Belarus, Lithuania, and most of Africa may have no way to create the required PSN account at all.
Arrowhead’s community managers can only say they are “looking into” this issue, offering no clear solution yet for players who could be permanently locked out of the game they paid for.
Not happening.
Removing access from Steam players unless they make a PSN account and link it months after release is absurd. Review changed to negative and I have filed for a refund. pic.twitter.com/xMVQUR3tLq
— Pirate Software (@PirateSoftware) May 3, 2024Appealing to Sony
With outrage intensifying across Reddit, Steam, Discord, and social media, Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead appears to be directing players to contact PlayStation Support with grievances.
In a tweet, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt linked the PSN support page, suggesting disgruntled fans should “reach out to Sony” directly on the account linking issue.
As of now, it seems Sony is digging in on the controversial policy despite the overwhelming blowback from the PC community. Whether the publisher will ultimately walk back or modify the PSN requirement remains to be seen.
But one thing is clear — Helldivers 2’s previously celebrated PC launch has descended into chaos and division. What started as a multiplayer success story is rapidly becoming a poster child for consumer backlash over heavy-handed platform policies.
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