Amid uproar, Sony cancels the Helldivers 2 PSN account linking update

It’s been one hell of a week for Helldivers 2 fans. When Sony first announced mandatory linking for Helldivers 2 and PSN (PlayStation Network) accounts, players didn’t realize the ramifications. As it turned out, the move led to Helldivers 2 being unavailable for sale in as many as 177 countries where PSN is not available.

What followed was an uproar and a barrage of negative reviews on Steam, numbering hundreds of thousands. Early on, the developers, Arrowhead Game Studios, confirmed that they were actively in touch with Sony regarding the Helldivers 2 fiasco and were looking for solutions.

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

Sony finally concedes to pressure

A few hours ago, Sony confirmed that it is not moving forward with the Helldivers 2 PSN account linking update.

In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), Sony, directly addressing the Helldivers fans, said that the May 6 update, which would have required all new and existing players to link the Helldivers 2 and PSN accounts by May 30, would not be enforced.

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

This comes as a relief to millions of players who couldn’t access Helldivers 2 after it was taken off Steam in 177 countries (list shared by SteamDB). Even countries like Japan were affected, with a different game package available for download.

While players could bypass these requirements by choosing a different region, it would have gone against PlayStation’s Terms of Service and attracted a penalty.

Surprisingly, Steam has been quite supportive during the entire episode. Many confirmed receiving a full refund from Steam for their Helldivers 2 purchase, even after exceeding the 2-hour playtime and post the 14-day period.

Refunds on Steam work – here is good guy Steam accepting simple, straightforward logic.
byu/lockes5hadow inHelldivers

We are yet to receive confirmed reports about Helldivers 2 being re-available in countries and regions where it was taken down. But the changes should reflect in a day or two!

An important lesson from this entire episode is that if enough players start to challenge and complain about a change, developers and publishers could be forced to back down.

Also, as Sony is conceding to players’ demands, it should consider requests for bringing Helldivers 2 to Xbox.

Were you affected by the Helldivers 2 PSN account linking change? If so, share your experience in the comments section.