Despite the whole journey of Arrowhead Studios Helldivers 2 being a bit controversial, the past few days are the ones that will go down in history, as fans finally mark a win over corporate greed persisting in the gaming industry. For those who have been living under a rock, Sony, the makers of PlayStation ultimately announced how every player on PC who wished to continue playing the game had to link a PSN account with their Steam client moving forward.
This decision by the gaming giant is not only one of the most controversial moves yet, but is the reason why the ratings for the game on Steam were intentionally tanked by the player base, prompting Sony to take a step back for once.
Helldivers 2 Players Score A Historic Win Against Sony
Three days after the PSN linking mandate was first revealed, it was announced via the PlayStation’s official Twitter account how they would pull back on the mandate, handing the victory over to fans. It is important to give credit where it is due, as while Sony did not have to introduce such an absurd requirement in the first place, they still listened to the community and did what was in the best interest of every player.
Helldivers fans — we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. 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.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 6, 2024
We’re still…
There are a lot of reasons that were stated by players while they fought against the account-linking tyranny Sony was trying to impose on gamers at the time. This includes how the rule is not fair to those who live in one of the 170+ countries that don’t have PSN to begin with. Additionally, there have been safety concerns with the data of players, since Sony has proven themselves to be untrustworthy with personal information following several breaches in the past.
Unfortunately, Arrowhead Studios seems to have been caught in the crossfire between the company and the player base, as a game they have worked on for years to make and maintain had its reviews ruined in such a short time. They have also been the target of many players who were unaware of how much the developing studio held a voice in making the stated decision.
Arrowhead Studios – Wrongly Caught In Crossfire?
The last three days have been frustrating for not only the players but also for people over at Arrowhead Studios, who had to see the reputation they built up for their beloved game over the months slip away in just a few hours. The CEO of the developing studio, Johan Pilestedt himself has addressed the fans several times in the past few days trying to console the player base and salvage what’s left after Sony’s ridiculous decision-making.
This is how fans reacted after the PSN mandate was taken back by the studio-
DEMOCRACY HAS BEEN RESTORED
— Michael the 𝕏 researcher (@PartialArabMike) May 6, 2024
So bullying Mega Corps Dose Work pic.twitter.com/FxUduUh4Cc
— Neo Gray ネオ Bratty Gremlin Hikikomori Neko VTuber (@Demonneko12) May 6, 2024
Now everyone can leave arrowhead alone
— WaR Jay (@JayTheGam3r) May 6, 2024
this is an absolutely insane W
Now can everyone quit taking this out on the Helldivers 2 Devs?
— BakedGrizz (@BakedGrizz) May 6, 2024
They ended up in the crossfire for this and it wasn’t fair to them as they were doing what they were contractually obligated to do.
Democracy prevails pic.twitter.com/84SArROJCr
— Opera GX (@operagxofficial) May 6, 2024
While the reviews of Helldivers 2 might be doomed for now, it eventually helped the players achieve what they wished for. It is now just a matter of time before Arrowhead brings the game back on track soon, repairing the title’s image by continuing to serve the great experience they have been doing since February.
Helldivers 2 is available to purchase on Steam.
