A new Helldivers 2 patch is here and will hopefully put the whole PlayStation Network account linking debacle to bed once and for all, as it's now been added as an explicitly "optional" setting.
07.05.2024 - 02:45 / thegamer.com / Johan Pilestedt / Sony
Being a Helldivers 2 fan has been an absolute rollercoaster over this past weekend, with the game being the most loved live service game out there, to the most hated, and back again over the course of just a few days. Most of you will know that this was down to Sony's sudden implementation of its PSN account system, requiring Helldivers 2 players on Steam to sign up for the PlayStation Network if they want to continue playing.
This then led to a backlash of untold proportions, as Helldivers 2 was bombarded by tens of thousands of negative reviews, prompting Sony to completely delist the title in countries that don't have access to PSN. The entire saga finally came to an end earlier today, as PlayStation admitted via its official Twitter account that it goofed up and will be dropping the requirements for Helldivers 2 players to make PSN accounts mandatory.
To force a company as massive as Sony to quickly backtrack over fan outrage is no small feat, and it was only achieved due to the incredible amount of collaboration and coordination of the Helldivers 2 community, something which Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt himself recently applauded fans for after the dust had settled.
On Twitter earlier today, Pilestedt made a statement applauding the Helldivers 2 community for its "willpower" and "ability to collaborate", clearly impressed by its ability to get Sony to reverse its decision. Pilestedt then goes on to thank Arrowhead's "partners and friends" at PlayStation for helping reverse the decision and make PSN linking optional.
Pilestedt goes on to explain that he wants Helldivers 2 to "set a new standard for what a live game is," and its fans pressuring Sony into changing something so unpopular in just a matter of days has already achieved something you don't often see from other big publishers. A U-turn of this kind of magnitude is a rarity in the gaming industry, and it shows how much of a unique title Helldivers 2 is at the moment, and how dedicated its fanbase is to keeping the title as good as it can be.
Helldivers 2 is the sequel to the third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios. This time out, the Helldivers are deep in the Galactic War, and it's up to you to bring Managed Democracy to the masses.
A new Helldivers 2 patch is here and will hopefully put the whole PlayStation Network account linking debacle to bed once and for all, as it's now been added as an explicitly "optional" setting.
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Helldivers 2 has been a huge hit this yea,r with a consistent player base since its launch in February and a peak of over 450,000 players. Fighting for Super Earth, players have been waging war against monstrous insects and deadly robots and laying down their lives for democracy. But the game’s reputation took a hit recently when it was announced that PC players would have to register for a PlayStation Network account to continue playing the game — a move that would have left players in parts of the world with no PSN support high and dry.
It’s been a tumultuous few days for Helldivers 2, as one of this year’s most beloved runaway hits managed to seemingly undo all of its goodwill and earn the ire of thousands of players in the blink of an eye.
After the backlash and subsequent U-turn on Helldivers 2 requiring players to link their Steam account to a PlayStation Network account, the next PlayStation flagship headed to PC has sought to reassure players that you won’t need a PSN account to play its single-player campaign. Multiplayer’s a different case, though.
In response to the recent negativity surrounding Helldivers 2 and PlayStation Network account requirements, Sucker Punch issued a statement in an attempt to clarify its use in the upcoming PC version of Ghost of Tsushima. It's been a rough few days for Arrowhead Game Studios, who took the brunt of the controversy surrounding a recent announcement that would require Helldivers 2 players to link to a PSN account. The backlash was so severe that Helldivers 2 was actively review bombed on Steam, the refund policy was changed, and ultimately, Sony issued a statement abandoning its PSN plans.
Sony has reversed a decision that would have required Helldivers 2 players to link their Steam accounts to PlayStation Network accounts.
PlayStation has delivered a U-turn and scrapped its plans to require Helldivers 2 players on Steam to sign in with a PlayStation Network account.
PlayStation has announced that it no longer plans to push the controversial Helldivers 2 PlayStation Network account-linking update. The Helldivers 2 community was rocked by controversy after it was announced that PC users would have to link their Steam account to Sony's PlayStation Network by June if they wanted to continue playing the game. However, the resulting public outcry has seemingly convinced the publisher to rescind its decision.