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.
06.05.2024 - 08:51 / wccftech.com / Johan Pilestedt / Aernout van de Velde / Sony
Helldivers 2 PC players galore as Sony has confirmed that it has canceled the upcoming mandatory Helldivers 2 PSN account linking update.
A lot has been said and written over the past few days regarding the mandatory PSN account creation and linking for Helldivers 2 players on PC. Although confirmed months ago, it recently came to the attention of the PC community that setting up and linking a PSN account was required in order to keep playing Arrowhead's hit title. After players became aware, thousands of negative Steam reviews followed and Valve decided to offer refunds, even for those who played the game for more than two hours. In addition, the game was made available for purchase in more than hundred countries that don't have the ability to create a PSN account.
On X, Arrowhead's CEO and Creative Director Johan Pilestedt partly took the blame and said that the team is in talks with Sony to look for a solution. "I do have a part to play", Pilestedt wrote on X yesterday. "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."
As it turns out, community backlash and talks have paid off as Sony has seemingly bent the knee on this matter. As posted on X by the official PlayStation X account, the upcoming mandatory PSN account linking update has been canceled, and apologies for the situation have been offered.
"Helldivers fans -- we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update", the official PlayStation X account writes. "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 community won. Helldivers 2 is available worldwide (once again) now for both PC and PlayStation 5.
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.
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has released the Polar Patriots Premium Warbond as planned after the boss of the studio polled fans on whether it should go ahead so soon after what he called “negative sentiment” over the game’s PlayStation Network account linking.
Helldivers 2 Community Manager 'Spitz' is seemingly no longer with Arrowhead Game Studios following outings he did over the now-canceled mandatory PSN account linking update.
Helldivers 2 developers are reportedly working on a new cape inspired by the account-linking controversy. While the community can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the worst of the fiasco has passed, some fans have additionally taken to sharing designs for costume accessories inspired by Helldivers 2's Steam page. Some of these designs even managed to reach the offices of developer Arrowhead Game Studios and, if one executive is to be believed, will soon hit live servers as an official cosmetic.
Arrowhead Game Studios has rolled out Helldivers 2 patch 1.000.302, focusing on key areas like damage-over-time effects issues, weapon and enemy balancing, social menu issues, and more. This update also introduces a range of fixes to enhance the overall gaming experience for Helldivers 2 players.
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.
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.