PlayStation The course for Helldivers 2 mirrors the PSN account requirements

PlayStation has reversed course on Helldivers 2 PSN account requirements, reversing the unpopular policy after a weekend-long backlash that included tens of thousands of negative reviews, some of which spilled over into Sony’s other Steam games.

Helldivers fans – we’ve heard your feedback about the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and existing players starting May 30, will not go forward.

We are still…

– PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 6, 2024

“Helldivers fans – we’ve heard your feedback about the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and existing players starting May 30,” PlayStation wrote on its official account.

“We’re still learning what works 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.”

PlayStation’s decision means that Helldivers 2 players on Steam will not have to link a PSN account in order to play. The unpopular policy, which would have seen new players face a mandatory login starting this week, has led to Helldivers 2 being delisted in some 177 countries. At one point, Arrowhead CEO Johan Bilstedt, who was clearly frustrated by the controversy, posted: “Waking up to yesterday’s sunshine with a dreary drizzle and shivering wind makes me think about how I spent my time in those rare few moments when all everything is okay. “.

Pilestedt said on Sunday that Arrowhead had been “talking about solutions” with PlayStation, which apparently led to the decision not to move forward with the policy. Pilestedt also shed more light on the decision-making process behind the scenes, admitting that it was his decision to disable account linking at launch so players could play the game.

I have a role to play. I’m not innocent in all of this – it was my decision to disable account linking at launch so players could play the game. I didn’t make sure players were aware of the requirements and we didn’t talk about them enough.

We knew about 6 months ago…

– Plestedt (@Plestedt) May 5, 2024

“I did not make sure players were aware of the requirements and we did not talk about them enough,” he wrote, saying he was “not innocent” of the counter-controversy. “We knew about 6 months before launch that it would be mandatory for PS online titles.”

As he has been throughout Helldivers 2’s release, Pilestedt has been a vocal presence on social media, apologizing to fans at various points and saying he “just wants to make a good game.” Recent reviews for Helldivers 2 on Steam currently sit at “Overwhelmingly Negative”, dropping it to Overall Mixed after a wave of review bombing that included over 200,000 negative reviews.

Following PlayStation’s announcement, fans expressed hope that future games would not include this requirement. Others urged players not to take their anger out on Arrowhead.

“They ended up in the crosshairs over this and it wasn’t fair to them because they were doing what they were contractually obligated to do,” one fan wrote.

PlayStation’s decision means the focus can start to return to the game itself, which has so far been one of the most popular games of 2024 thanks to its unique approach to the service’s live storytelling. Its huge success has led to an estimated 8 million units sold as of March 2024.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Do you have any advice? Send her a direct message at @the_katbot.