“Helldivers 2” meets an angry Steam community. The announcement of a PSN account requirement caused review bombing. However, a legitimate argument against the introduction seems to vanish into thin air.
After the suspected censorship all around “Stellar Blade”, an associated petition and PS Plus boycotts, the gaming world has a new topic that is causing a stir. Sony Interactive Entertainment is involved again: The Steam version of “Helldivers 2” is to be linked to the PlayStation Network and players are taking to the barricades.
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Cross-links of this type and additional accounts are not uncommon and regularly affect console players. The most recent example is this PS5 version of “Sea of Thieves”. For PC gamers, the PlayStation Network will ultimately play a role more often, with the Steam version of “Ghost of Tsuhima” Sony is establishing a PSN overlay.
Arrowhead doesn't want to keep players away from Helldivers 2
Ultimately, the criticism of the PSN requirement for “Helldivers 2” players on Steam is not unjustified. The PlayStation Network is not available in every country where Steam is available, which poses a (not entirely unsolvable) problem for players. The “Helldivers 2” developer Arrowhead also took note of this criticism and promised a solution.
The community manager Spitz addressed the angry Steam players in a Discord message stated on record: “Unless there is a better solution for players in regions without PSN coverage, I am sure we will not make the requirement mandatory for these players.”
This means the studio won't force people to either violate Sony's terms of use, such as by providing false information when creating an account, or not to play the game.
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Spitz also emphasizes that the account linking was “Sony’s decision” and that some employees were just as upset as the players. “The response from our development teams has been pretty consistently negative and we are looking for better options,” the community manager continued.
This in turn corresponds to the reaction of studio boss Joan Pielstedt, who said that the criticism was “justified”.
Not sure about the number of countries without a PSN connection
Other games have long required account linking. And Arrowhead's initial reactions also went in a different direction.
Spitz is quoted as saying: “It's not like this is the first or even the fourteenth mainstream game to require a third-party account that takes a few minutes to create. But if taking 120 seconds to enter an email and password and then forgetting it is a hindrance, then change your Steam rating and voice your displeasure on a platform where it matters.”
Since creating an account is not easy for some players, the now-deleted comment caused further criticism. Spitz later commented: “Yes, when I wrote the comment I wasn't aware of how many countries simply don't offer the option to create a PSN account.” He assumed that the account creation is a simple matter for all players.
In the end, it remains unclear how many players actually face this hurdle. However, if the solution promised by Arrowhead were to be implemented, this legitimate point of criticism would be resolved. In the long term, Sony would probably be well advised to enable PSN account creation worldwide.
80,000 thumbs down in two days
Before the ongoing review bombing, Sony and Arrowhead announced that “Helldivers 2” players on Steam will soon have to connect their game to a PSN account in order to continue playing the co-op shooter. For existing players there is an additional grace period until the beginning of June. The obligation applies to new players from May 6, 2024.
In response, thousands of players left negative reviews on Steam. Since the link was announced, there have been more than 80,000 thumbs down. The actual number of hits on “Helldivers 2” seems to have changed little so far Steam charts suggest.
Shift Up, on the other hand, could breathe a sigh of relief. After the outrage shifted to “Helldivers 2,” it became all about the alleged Censorship in “Stellar Blade” significantly quieter. We already thanked you for the feedback:
In case you missed it today: The upcoming PC port of “Ghost of Tsushima” will not require players to create a PSN account. The at least applies to people, who only want to work their way through the single player challenges. However, it is required for “Legends” multiplayer.
Further news about Helldivers 2.
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