"Helldivers 2": Sony cancels account requirement after shitstorm
Plans for a retroactive account requirement have angered players of "Helldivers 2". After massive criticism, Sony is now reversing course.
"Helldivers 2" will remain playable on the PC even without a PSN account.
(Bild: Sony)
Massive criticism from the PC community has prompted Sony to give in: a planned update for "Helldivers 2", which was supposed to require a link to a Sony account, will not be released. Sony Playstation announced this in a post on the X platform.
"We're still learning what's best for PC players," Sony admits in the X post. "Your feedback has been very valuable". The "feedback" included over 200,000 negative reviews of "Helldivers 2" on the Steam gaming platform. News of the impending account ban also spread on social media in the form of an unprecedented shitstorm, the likes of which Sony has probably not seen for a long time.
Refunds on Steam
Sony had planned to release an update for "Helldivers 2" on May 6, which would have required a Playstation account to play - months after the release of the online shooter. PC gamers were already furious about this belated and unannounced move. The situation was made worse by the fact that PSN accounts are not available in many countries.
Players in these countries, including Réunion, Georgia and San Marino, would no longer have been able to play their purchased game. Whether Sony had plans to circumvent this situation remains to be seen in light of the announced withdrawal. The gaming platform Steam had removed the game from sale due to the unclear situation in the affected countries and apparently decided to allow refunds for "Helldivers 2" outside of the usual time frame.
Studio boss wants to reconcile
The communication between publisher Sony and developer Arrowhead was remarkable: While Sony concentrated on terse statements, Arrowhead boss Johan Pilestedt was communicative and open on X. He admitted, for example, that he had known about the planned account requirement months ago. It had been a mistake not to inform the fans of this requirement in advance. At the same time, Pilestedt also criticized the community: Among other things, he expressed his disappointment that the first "Helldivers" part was also showered with negative criticism, even though the game does not require a Playstation account.
In a recent post, Pilestedt is once again conciliatory: he writes that he is impressed by the willpower of the community. He also thanks publisher Sony for the decision to make the account link optional. "Together, we want to set a new standard for what a live game is and how developers and the community can support each other to create the best gaming experiences."
"Helldivers 2" was released in February for Playstation 5 and PC and quickly became one of the biggest surprise hits of recent months. "Helldivers 2" is a wild co-op shooter in which players carry out missions with others on hostile planets, taking down robo-adversaries and alien monsters. Players can not only shoot, but also request powerful support - such as air strikes, protective shields and minefields.
(dahe)
