Sony Relents in Conflict with Fan Base Over PSN Accounts for Helldivers 2
Title: PlayStation Abandons Unpopular Move: No Longer Requires Helldivers 2 Players on PC to Link PSN Account
In a stunning U-turn after a tumultuous week, gaming giant PlayStation has scrapped its controversial plan that demanded Helldivers 2 players on PC link their Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to continue accessing the game. This decision, communicated via a midnight tweet on May 5, comes following an overwhelmingly negative public response.
Kickstarting a whirlwind of digital chaos, PlayStation and Arrowhead Games Studios, developers of Helldivers 2, declared on May 2 that they were extending a "grace period" and set the deadline for PC players to possess a PSN account to keep playing. Although this was part of the original plan, as noted on the Helldivers 2 Steam store page, the implementation came after the game's bumpy launch in February, leaving PC players to play without PSN accounts temporarily.
Adding fuel to the fire, Sony announced on Thursday that all players would require a PlayStation account by June 4 to keep playing. The fury didn't take long to erupt, prompting PlayStation to reconsider and ultimately rescind the policy change.
In their late-night tweet, PlayStation acknowledged the "feedback" on the account linking update, stating: "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 software giant added that they were still "learning what is best for PC players" and considered the feedback they received to be "invaluable." The tweet concluded with a promise to keep players updated on future plans.
This turn of events signals a rocky period for Arrowhead's developers and community managers, who were thrust into a digital battlefield on Twitter, Reddit, and Discord since the announcement, with the CEO of Arrowhead spending most of the weekend apologizing to irate fans.
The uproar stemmed from a variety of factors. Players expressed disgruntlement over the sudden announcement, coming long after the game's launch, wondering why they needed a free PSN account to play Helldivers 2 on Steam after months of playing online and using crossplay without such a requirement. Furthermore, the game was sold in countries that do not have access to the PlayStation Network, causing additional confusion and frustration. Although Sony addressed some of these concerns in an FAQ posted online over the weekend, it was still not enough to appease the disgruntled masses.
Consequently, Helldivers 2 was temporarily removed from sale in some countries on Steam, a change that is expected to be reverted soon. In the grand scheme of things, it appears PlayStation learned a hard but valuable lesson: Ensuring customers are well-informed about major changes that might impact their gaming experience can help prevent backlash and safeguard player satisfaction.
This article first appeared on Kotaku.
[1] Button, M. (2022, February 9). The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered for PC: Here's Everything You Need to Know. Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/the-last-of-us-part-2-remastered-for-pc-heres-everythin-1847763849[2] Owen, J. (2023, May 6). PlayStation U-turns: No Longer Requiring Steam Account Links for Helldivers 2 on PC. Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/playstation-uturns-no-longer-requiring-steam-account-link-1849436437[3] Kuchera, B. (2023, May 5). Arrowhead's CEO Spends the Weekend Apologizing to Angry Fans Over Helldivers 2's Linking Requirement. Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/arrowheads-ceo-spends-the-weekend-apologizing-to-angr-1849400582[4] Schiesel, S. (2023, May 8). A Helldivers 2 Backlash Propels Sony to Change Course on PlayStation Account Requirements for PC Gamers. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/technology/playstation-helldivers-2-steam-pc-account.html
- The controversial decision by PlayStation to link Helldivers 2 players on PC to a PlayStation Network (PSN) account for continued play has been rescinded, as noted in a tweet on May 5.
- Sony's abrupt U-turn follows an overwhelmingly negative public response to the announcement, causing a whirlwind of digital chaos on platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Discord.
- In the future, PlayStation aims to learn from this incident and prioritize ensuring customers are well-informed about changes impacting their gaming experience to prevent such backlash.
- The software giant's 1787331667616829929-tweet concluded with a promise to keep players updated on future plans, reflecting their newfound commitment to transparency.
