Sony Walks Back Helldivers 2 PSN Account Linking Requirement on Steam After Widespread Backlash

Helldivers 2 was released on PS5 and PC in February and was met with critical acclaim and commercial success.

Written by Manas Mitul | Updated: 6 May 2024 12:35 IST

Sony Walks Back Helldivers 2 PSN Account Linking Requirement on Steam After Widespread Backlash

Photo Credit: Sony/ Arrowhead Game Studios

Helldivers 2 is one of the most played games on Steam

Highlights

Helldivers 2 has received thousands of negative reviews on Steam
Sony required users to link PSN, Steam accounts to play Helldivers 2
The game was also pulled from Steam in over 150 countries

Sony has walked back on its decision that mandated new and existing Helldivers 2 players on Steam to link their PlayStation Network accounts to Valve's service after severe backlash over the weekend. On Friday, Sony had announced that users would need to link their Steam account to their PSN account to continue playing Helldivers 2. The PlayStation parent and Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios received widespread criticism over the move, leading to the game being review bombed on Steam.

In its latest update, Sony said that it would “not be moving forward” with the new requirement. “Helldivers fans -- we've heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update,” a post from the PlayStation handle on X said Monday morning. “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,” the post added.

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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.

We're still…
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 6, 2024

Sony's decision was met with widespread backlash from Helldivers players on PC. Over the weekend, the online co-op shooter received thousands of negative reviews, plummeting the game's overall score. The recent reviews for Helldivers 2 on Steam stand at ‘Mostly Negative,' while overall reviews are now ‘Mixed'. The game was also pulled from Steam in over 150 countries, where PSN is not officially available, with the Valve storefront issuing refunds to players.

Helldivers 2 developers Arrowhead Game Studios reached out to fans over the weekend and said that it was working on reaching a solution with publisher Sony. “We are talking solutions with PlayStation, especially for non-PSN countries. Your voice has been heard, and I am doing everything I can to speak for the community - but I don't have the final say,” Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilstedt posted on X Sunday.

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Is this the moment to tweet "What? You guys don't have phones?" 😵‍💫

On serious note: We are talking solutions with PlayStation, especially for non-PSN countries. Your voice has been heard, and I am doing everything I can to speak for the community - but I don't have the final…
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 5, 2024

It seems Sony have read the room and responded to the backlash. The PSN account linking requirement is being dropped, but the decision has ended up damaging all the goodwill Helldivers 2 has accumulated since its release.

The online shooter was released on PS5 and PC in February and was met with critical acclaim and commercial success. Helldivers 2 quickly became a phenomenon on PC especially, climbing the charts to emerge as one of the most played games on Steam globally, even as the game battled technical issues.

Since its release, Arrowhead has issued numerous updates and bug fixes, in addition to regularly releasing new content as the game continues to retain a strong player base. On Monday, Pilstedt thanked PlayStation for listening to the community and reversing the decision quickly. “Firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate,” he said. “Secondly I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional,” he added.

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Helldivers 2

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Good
Fun and engaging gameplay
Tongue-in-cheek tone
Explosive weapons
Simple, effective mission structure
Diverse environments
Fair pricing

Bad
Server issues
Jumping into online matches can take time
Needs more diverse missions

Read detailed Playstation Helldivers 2 review

Genre Shoot 'em up

Platform PlayStation 5 (PS5), PC: Windows

Modes Single-player, Multiplayer

PEGI Rating 18+

More Playstation Games

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Further reading: Helldivers 2, PC, PS5, Steam, PSN, PlayStation Network, PlayStation, Arrowhead Game Studios, Sony

Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More