Sony Walk Back Helldivers 2 PSN account required to be linked on Steam

Following severe backlash over the weekend, Sony has backtracked on its decision to require new and existing Helldivers 2 players on Steam to link their PlayStation Network accounts to Valve’s service. On Friday, Sony announced that users will need to link their Steam account to their PSN account to continue playing Helldivers 2. PlayStation parent and Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios received widespread criticism over the move, which led to the game being reviewed. Steam.

In its latest update, Sony said it “will not move forward” with the new requirement. “Helldiverse fans – we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldiverse 2 account linking update,” said a post Monday morning from the PlayStation handle on X. “The May 6 update, which will have required linking a Steam and PlayStation Network account for new players and for current players starting on May 30, will not go forward.”

“We’re still learning what works best for PC players and your feedback is invaluable. Thank you again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we will keep you updated on future plans,” the post added.

Sony’s decision faced widespread backlash from Helldivers players on PC. Over the weekend, the online co-op shooter received thousands of negative reviews, reducing the game’s overall score. Recent Reviews There is a ‘Mostly Negative’ status for Helldivers 2 on Steam, while overall reviews are now ‘Mixed’. there was also a game pulled From Steam in over 150 countries where PSN is not officially available, Valve issues refunds to storefront players.

Helldivers 2 developers Arrowhead Game Studios reached out to fans over the weekend and said it was working with publisher Sony on reaching a solution. “We are talking solutions with PlayStation, especially for non-PSN countries. Your voices have been heard, and I’m doing everything I can to speak for the community – but the final decision is not mine,” Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilstedt posted on X Sunday.

It seems that Sony has read the matter and responded to the feedback. The requirement to link a PSN account is being eliminated, but this decision has harmed all the goodwill earned since the release of Helldivers 2.

The online shooter was released on PS5 and PC in February and received critical acclaim and commercial success. Helldivers 2 quickly became a phenomenon especially on PC, climbing the charts and emerging as one of the most played games on Steam globally, even though the game was plagued with technical issues.

Since its release, Arrowhead has released numerous updates and bug fixes, in addition to regularly releasing new content as the game has maintained a strong player base. On Monday, Pilstad Thank you PlayStation for listening to the community and immediately reversing the decision. “First of all, I’m impressed by the will of the @helldiverse2 community and your ability to collaborate,” he said. He added, “Secondly, I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for making the decision to leave PSN linking optional quickly and effectively.”