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.
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
“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.”
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. At one point, 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.”
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.
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.
We knew for about 6 months before…
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 5, 2024
“I did not ensure players were aware of the requirement and we didn’t talk about it enough,” he wrote, saying that he was “not blameless” in the countroversy. “We knew for about 6 months before launch that it would be mandatory for online PS titles.”
As he has been throughout Helldivers 2’s release, Pilestedt was a vocal presence on social media, at various points apologizing to fans and say he “just wants to make a good game.” Helldivers 2’s recent reviews on Steam currently sit at “Overwhelmingly Negative,” dropping it to Mixed overall after a wave of review bombing that included more than 200,000 negative reviews.
Following PlayStation’s announcement, fans expressed hope that future games would not include the requirement. Others urged players to not take out their anger on Arrowhead.
“They ended up in the crossfire for this and it wasn’t fair to them as they were doing what they were contractually obligated to do,” one fan wrote.
PlayStation’s decision means that the focus can begin to return to the game itself, which up until now has been one of the most popular games of 2024 thanks to its unique approach to live service storytelling. Its breakthrough success has led to it selling 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. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.