Helldivers 2 is a beloved game, but it recently came under fire from PC gamers, with Sony requiring PSN to play it. Clearly, Sony wanted to leverage the game's popularity to get more players to sign up for its online service. Sony even pulled the game from Steam in 177 regions where PSN isn't available. But it backfired.
Now, Sony has decided to relent to the masses by removing the PSN requirement from the game, which should make players happy. However, the damage may have already been done, as Helldivers 2 received thousands of negative reviews on Steam.
"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," said the official PlayStation account in a post on X (fka Twitter).
It seems Sony is still trying to figure out what PC gamers want, and unsurprisingly, it's not just additional forced sign-ins. "We're still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we'll keep you updated on future plans," the post continued.
Arrowhead's (the game's developer) CEO and Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt also posted on X about the situation, citing gamers' "willpower." The CEO said: "We together want to set a new standard for what a live game is and how developers and the community can support each other to create the best game experiences."
Sony wasn't just adding PSN to capture new users, though, as the service would help with moderation. Pilestedt said the company is "building systems to replace" that functionality, though the team hasn't come up with a name yet.
While it's unfortunate that all of the negative backlash happened, the result is positive, with Sony showing that it's willing to listen to player feedback even if it goes against the firm's original plans. For PC gamers who enjoy Helldivers 2, everything looks like it'll remain the same for the time being, which, is a good thing in this case.
