This just in: Sony has officially backed down on PSN account linking for Helldivers 2, and all it took was an overwhelming amount of backlash and negative reviews to change their mind.
To catch you up, a few days ago, Sony took to Steam to darken some doorsteps when they posted a message that read:
Due to technical issues at the launch of Helldivers 2, we allowed the linking requirements for Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account to be temporarily optional.
That grace period will now expire.
This little announcement went down about as well as… well, this announcement. In 24 hours since the post was made, over 200,000 negative reviews hit Helldivers 2, leading to an apology from the Helldiver’s devs themselves.
This outcry wasn’t just the gaming tantrum of the day, either. Much of the issue comes down to the fact that many countries can’t access the PlayStation Network. Shortly after Sony made the post, Helldivers 2 was pulled from sale in 177 countries and territories that could previously buy the game and play it without worry.
Since then, Steam has offered to refund players regardless of how many hours they have put into the game. Now, it seems Sony has decided to bend the knee and not die on this hill after all.
In an X on X, Sony said:
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.”
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.
It’s yet to be seen if Helldivers 2 will return to sale in all those places where it became unavailable and if this rue reversal is enough to restore a positive review to the game or if it’s too little too late.
Now I want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on all this? Let me know in the comments.