Live-service darling Helldivers 2 took a big hit to its reputation yesterday when developer Arrowhead announced that the top-selling co-op shooter would require Steam players to link a PlayStation Network (PSN) accounts to play the game post-May 6.
This unexpected switch-up has caused a furious stir in the fanbase, leading to concerns about regions without PSN support and a surge of negative reviews on Steam, dragging the user score down. Many blame Arrowhead for the decision, but it seems to be coming from higher up.
Arrowhead’s Hand May Have Been Forced In The Decision
The requirement itself appears to be a move by Sony, the game’s publisher, to integrate Steam users into the PSN ecosystem. However, the way it was communicated has been the source of most of the anger. Players argue that the information, buried in a small box on the Steam page, did little to prepare them for a mandatory account link months after release.
Arrowhead has graciously taken some of the blame, though. CEO Johan Pilestedt acknowledged the review bombing in a tweet, and apologized to players disheartened by the situation, saying “Well, I guess it’s warranted. Sorry everyone for how this all transpired. I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience.“
Sony says that the reason for mandatory PSN linking has to do with security and player protection, but many remain skeptical, suggesting these goals could be achieved without forcing account integration, especially in the UK and Ireland where making a PSN account requires users to hand over their ID or biometric scan.
Arrowhead’s community managers have been caught in the crossfire as well, as they were hounded by players about crucial questions they were unable to address, particularly regarding regions without PSN access. This further indicates that the change wasn’t properly planned on Sony’s end.
Johan Pilestedt Just Wants To Make Helldivers 2 ‘Greater’
One player responded to Pilestedt’s tweet, claiming that the CEO’s statement didn’t promise any resolution, and came off more as an attempt to fish for “sympathy.” Pilestedt cleared up the confusion, saying that the only way to make up to the playerbase is to continue bettering the Helldivers 2 experience.
Sorry, not my intention. What I meant was. The team will have to make up for this by using the lever we have: Making great game experiences.
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 4, 2024
While most players will likely create a PSN account to continue enjoying Helldivers 2, as the game is still as amazing as ever, the damage to trust is irrefutable. Moreover, Sony has updated the PlayStation Support page to reflect the decision, which previously stated that PlayStation games on PC won’t need mandatory linking to a PSN account.
Going forward, it appears every PlayStation game that makes its way to PC will require players to link a PSN account, like the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima port on May 16. It’s unconfirmed if this move was made to boost PlayStation’s MAU (monthly active users) numbers, but it seems highly likely. Helldivers 2 is the first to enforce this rule, and fans have not taken kindly to it.
The review bombing on Steam has exceeded 20,000 negative reviews, plummeting the user rating to ‘Mixed’. While some may eventually move on, the sting of this surprise decision will likely linger. It’ll be interesting to see how far the player numbers drop (if at all) after the rule comes into effect on May 6.
It’s entirely possible that Arrowhead and Sony can simply walk back on it, considering the very valid issue of regions without PSN support, but if they don’t, Arrowhead’s greatest success to date may just be on the verge of fading into irrelevance.
