Helldivers 2 delists from Steam in non-PSN countries as studio boss admits fault in debacle

Over the weekend we reported on Sony’s decision to reinforce the previously relaxed PlayStation Network account link requirement for PC players of Helldivers 2, which would force PC fans of the co-op shooter to connect their Steam account to a PSN account by June 4th or lose access to the game. The announcement ignited rage among gamers as they called out Sony’s lax security and pointed out how multiple countries would basically be locked out from continuing to play because of PSN’s meager global reach versus Steam’s.

It would appear that this requirement is not going to be relaxed, as SteamDB has logged the shooter being delisted from Steam in over 100 territories. It’s unclear whether this was a decision made by Sony, Arrowhead, or a combination of the two.

The situation has reportedly gotten the notice of Valve, as there have been reports of long-time players successfully getting refunds despite being well over the platform’s usual requirements to request their money back.

Meanwhile, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt continues to report on the matter, repeating earlier messages that the studio is trying to ensure those who live in countries that don’t have PSN access can still play the game they bought. A later replay also sees him admit that the call to make PSN linking optional was his, as well as admit that the studio knew six months before launch of the PSN requirement but didn’t talk to players enough about it beforehand. “I did not ensure players were aware of the requirement and we didn’t talk about it enough,” he writes. “I do have a part to play. I am not blameless in all of this.”

The community’s fury shows no signs of slowing down: Discord channels continue to be a stream of furious remarks; the subreddit continues to be a mixture of upset posts, calls to action, and coping memes; and review bombings on Steam have been unrelenting, with recent reviews now dipping into the “Overwhelmingly Negative” mark.

I do have a part to play. 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.

We knew for about 6 months before…

— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 5, 2024