Sony Backs Down: PC Helldivers 2 Players Won't Have to Link a PlayStation Account
Players reacted strongly and negatively when the original news came out, but now the company has changed plans.
Helldivers 2 players won't have to link a PlayStation Network account to keep playing.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has backtracked on plans to require Helldivers 2 players on PC to link to a PlayStation account, the company said Sunday night in a post on X.
"Helldivers fans -- we've heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update," the post said. "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."
The post went on to say that the company is "still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable."
That feedback couldn't have been fun for Sony executives to read, as it was massively negative and even led to review-bombing on Steam, meaning numerous users were posting negative reviews of the game after the original change was announced. Over the weekend, players of the popular game were posting negative reviews and requesting refunds.
Background on the backtracking
This all came about after the company announced last week that players of Helldivers 2 on PC would have to link a PlayStation Network account to continue playing.
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"As of May 6th, all new Helldivers 2 players on Steam will be required to connect their Steam account to a PlayStation Network account," Sony said in a post on X and one on Steam. That tweet on X has since been removed, and the text on Steam has been crossed out.
At the time, Sony said that existing players would be prompted to link starting May 30, and they'll have until June 4 to do so. Presumably, the game wouldn't have been playable after that without linking.
Before changing course and dropping the link requirement, Sony had pulled the game from sale in 177 territories and countries where PlayStation accounts aren't available. A representative for Sony didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about whether game sales would be restored in those areas, now that linking is no longer required.
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When announcing the news, Sony said that the reason for the new, now-pulled requirement was "to protect players from griefing and abuse by enabling the banning of players that engage in that type of behavior."
Players of Helldivers 2 already had the option of linking to their PlayStation account in order to enable crossplay, in which PC and PlayStation 5 Helldivers can play in the same games. There is currently no Xbox console version of the game, but it's been rumored to be a possibility.