The gaming industry never stays long without a new bout of drama and controversy. Just a week ago, the gaming community was raging over the new edition of Escape from Tarkov and the dismissive attitude shown to the players, but it didn’t stay on top for long. Sony’s questionable management decisions almost buried one of the best releases of late, a co-op shooter Helldivers 2, and only a massive outcry from the community managed to turn the tide.
Players spent dozens if not hundreds of hours in Helldivers 2, either with friends, randoms or completely solo, to recapture planetary sectors, suffer on crazy missions, die in acid or from an unexpected robot assault. Helldivers were frequently wiped, but also managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in epic showdowns, but the most important thing is that fans continued playing. For the first time in a long while, it felt like Sony did something for players and not for revenue reports.
Yet, on May 3rd, Arrowhead Game Studios released patch notes that stated that going forward it would be necessary to link the PlayStation Network (PSN) account in order to play the game. And the storm had begun.
https://youtu.be/oD3pxbG9YYI
The community was flabbergasted with the news of this additional requirement. Based on the shared timeline, new Steam players would have been required to link their game with the PSN account starting on May 6th, while existing users needed to do so between May 30th and June 4th at the latest. If you did not have a PSN account, you’d have to create one.
The developers of Helldivers 2 have explained the new rule by stating that it would help uphold PlayStation “security values” and protect players:
- Linking the accounts should protect players from griefing and other cases of abuse;
- Developers will be able to click unscrupulous users;
- Those who received a ban will have a chance for an appeal.
Seriously, griefing and abuse? In a PvE game where a fellow party member can kill you by an unlucky shot and that features its own robust anti-cheat system that works on the level of the operating system (controversial, but effective)? If you find yourself overwhelmed, either with unfortunate random companions or by not being able to finish some task, the community is very likely to help you out.
Over the few days since the initial announcement, the developers from Arrowhead Game Studios have mentioned a number of times that this decision, the new mandatory requirement, was put forward by Sony. Likely to show investors just how many active and new PSN users there are. However, players have started asking pointed questions: “What about the countries that have no PSN support?”, “How can I play now? I bought the game in my country, but I can’t create a PSN account”, and so forth. The tech support also didn’t show itself from the best side, frequently brushing players aside and snarkily answering along the line of “Is it really that hard to spend a minute and create a free account?”
Yes, indeed, it is hard. PSN is unavailable in 170+ countries, with Sony either not being officially represented or players facing some other kind of complications. Yes, it is hard, as people who tried to proceed with PSN through VPN had started receiving bans. Yes, harder still, when there are countries that Sony had left while the game was still available to them on Steam, with the account link resulting in an error or a ban. Doesn’t effectively banning new players from 170+ countries sound like a marvelous PR move?
Players were rightfully incensed and turned to Arrowhead Game Studios and Steam review charts to ensure their voices were heard. However, Sony decided not to hold back and simply removed the sales of Helldivers 2 in the aforementioned 170+ countries, only prompting a further outcry and mass refunds.
Instead of going all-in with the demands, the company could have offered pleasant bonuses for voluntarily linking up with the PSN account. Something along the line of cosmetics, extra currency, perhaps even login events, or something of that sort.
Being forced into a corner made the community start an all-out media war to free Helldivers 2, along with the appropriate hashtag to use on social media. Players began lowering the game’s rating both on Steam and on the PS store, and started a whole flood of memes and parodies, taking over the Internet. The highly unusual circumstances also prompted special rules when it comes to refunds.
Over just a couple of days the overall rating of Helldivers 2, arguably one of the best releases of 2024, took a nosedive into negatives, prompted by Sony’s controversial management.
In addition to Helldivers 2, other upcoming Sony releases on PC have received an increase in the level of scrutiny. For example, the PC port of Ghost of Tsushima that arrives later in May. Right now the developers promise that the single-player campaign does not require any additional accounts or linking (though you’d still need PSN to participate in the multiplayer mode Legends), but who knows when Sony will decide to implement another questionable strategy?
However, this story does have an open ending – although it is yet too soon to claim it to be a happy one. Faced with the collective wrath of the community, the publisher had decided to roll back the controversial requirement.
However, the decision to stop selling the game in 170+ countries still stands as of the moment of writing this article so it cannot be considered a true win of the community over the corporate. And, while the game’s rating is slowly recovering from its nose dive as players update their reviews, some have decided to wait until Sony backs down on that front as well.
The community also suggested celebrating the occasion with a new stylish cloak, and the developers from Arrowhead Game Studios seem taken with the idea. Would you wear it?
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.
We’re still…
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 6, 2024
