After a long and arduous wait, Ghost of Tsushima is about to finally descend into the hands of Steam players. From Sony’s perspective, these past few days must’ve been quite scary, given what happened with Helldivers 2 and what that controversy’s potential impact on their upcoming release could be.
All the worries can be put to rest now, it seems, as Ghost of Tsushima is already topping Steam’s list of best-selling games, showcasing how even the pre-purchase refunds failed to stop the massively anticipated title.
Ghost of Tsushima Currently Stands Second on the List of Steam’s Best-Selling Titles
Back when Ghost of Tsushima’s PC port was first announced, people knew the game was going to be big amongst the master race. The game is, after all, the quintessential shogun-samurai fantasy. It was the Japanese Assassin’s Creed game people wanted before the concept was a thing in Ubisoft’s head.
However, nobody could anticipate how big the game was truly going to be. You see, Sony is still recovering from the blow that Helldivers 2’s account-linking controversy dealt. As the company began to realize just how small the scope of PSN is across the globe, worries settled in quickly as Ghost of Tsushima’s pre-purchases were quickly refunded in countries ineligible for service.
As it turns out, the refunds did little to stop the game’s success, as Sucker Punch’s baby is already on the list of Steam’s best-selling games, right behind Counter-Strike 2, as X user @Alejandroid1979 points out:
There are two important things to note about this turn of events. Firstly, it’s quite funny how the same people who pushed for Sony to remove their PC ports are now celebrating the success of Ghost of Tsushima on Steam.
Secondly, and more importantly, it’s truly a miracle that Sucker Punch managed to avoid the ditch of protests or hate that Arrowhead found themselves in a few days ago. Perhaps part of that has to do with how the account-linking feature is only enforced on the online component of the Tsushima, while the single-player experience remains completely unblemished.
While it’s great to see the game succeed despite all odds, the success does push one to wonder what Sony is planning with the regions where the Ghost of Tsushima remains delisted.
Release Ghost of Tsushima Single-Player at a Lower Price in PSN-Blocked Regions, Sony
Ghost of Tsushima, for the foreseeable future, will most likely remain delisted in PSN-ineligible countries, sharing Helldivers 2’s fate in that regard. While Arrowhead is currently doing its utmost to bring the game back to those regions, the former’s future is a little uncertain.
After having witnessed the power of a global release with Helldivers 2’s player count and sales, it must be tempting for Sony to release their current best-seller’s single-player component at a lowered price point.
It may not be the soundest of decisions in terms of logistics, but it is Sony’s best bet at further cementing Ghost of Tsushima’s commercial success, as was written in the stars, it now seems. Whatever decision Sony will take, for now, gamers who can get their hands on the game are certainly eating well tonight.
With that said, what do you think of Ghost of Tsushima’s success? Do you think the game’s single-player mode should be released in those ineligible countries? Let us know in the comment below.