Sony Is Forcing All Helldivers 2 Steam Players to Connect to a PlayStation Network Account — and It’s Going Down About as Well as You’d Expect
Sony has sparked a backlash after announcing plans to force Helldivers 2 Steam players to sign in to a PlayStation Network account.
In a statement attributed to Sony Interactive Entertainment, the PlayStation maker said that due to “technical issues” during the launch of Helldivers 2, it had allowed the requirements for linking Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account to be temporarily optional . Sony has stated that this “grace period” will now expire.
Here’s what’s going to happen: On May 6, all new Helldivers 2 players on Steam will need to connect their Steam account to a PlayStation Network account. Current players on Steam will start seeing mandatory sign-in starting May 30 and will need to have linked a Steam and PlayStation Network account by June 4.
Why is Sony imposing this requirement on Steam players? Safety and security, he said. “Account linking plays a vital role in protecting our players and upholding the safety and security values provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games,” Sony said in its statement. “This is our primary way of protecting players from grief and abuse by allowing the banning of players who engage in this type of behavior. It also gives players who have been banned the right to appeal.
Perhaps preparing for the backlash it knew was coming, Sony said: “We understand that while this may be an inconvenience for some of you, this step will help us continue to build a community that you are all proud to be a part. of.
“Thank you so much for your continued support of Helldivers 2! »
It’s fair to say that PC gamers who play Helldivers 2 on Steam and have nothing to do with Sony or PlayStation are upset with this decision. Many say they didn’t know that playing Helldivers 2 on Steam without signing into a PlayStation account was part of a “grace period.” As has been pointed out, Helldivers 2 launched with this requirement, but it was removed after the game exploded in popularity and the servers crashed. Still, that hasn’t stopped Steam players from lashing out at Sony for adding this requirement now, three months after launch.
I’m guessing you didn’t read this when you launched the game. pic.twitter.com/P2QRwBaYtp
– PhineasJack (@PhineasJack67) May 3, 2024
Others are expressing concerns about the security of the PlayStation Network, given Sony’s history of data breaches. Some are now wondering what happens to Helldivers 2 Steam players who live in a country where PSN is not available. Some of the most upset Steam players are threatening to abandon the game or even demand a refund because of the issue, although it remains to be seen whether Sony’s decision will significantly affect Helldivers 2’s Steam concurrent player count, that Valve makes public.
Do not arrive.
Removing access to Steam players unless they create a PSN account and link it months after release is absurd. The review became negative and I requested a refund. pic.twitter.com/xMVQUR3tLq
– Pirate Software (@PirateSoftware) May 3, 2024
“I paid $40 for this game and got over 100 hours of enjoyment out of it, I absolutely got my money’s worth,” said Redditor dudeitsivan. “This is one of the most fun video games I’ve had to play for as long as I can remember. I’m going to miss the game like crazy. But I won’t be signing up for a PS account.
“As much as I hate my own feelings about this, I hope this kills a player. It will be the only thing that makes Sony reconsider.”
“That sucks,” DarkArcanus added. “The developers at Arrowhead seem great. The game is great. But I won’t support that. Period. I’ll move on to other games. I might not scratch the Helldivers itch, but there’s always something something new.”
“Just adding that I will do the same,” Stupherz commented. “I was going to spend money to get the new Warbond too, but I don’t suppose anymore. It was fun but I refuse to tolerate that on principle.”
Arrowhead community managers are currently putting out fires on the Helldivers Discord, which is full of comments about today’s announcement. Responding to a player who asked the very reasonable question of how this makes Helldivers 2 safer, community manager Baskinator explained: “Sony has a dedicated team, a ban appeal process, and tools to take action on player reports, and this is all linked to the existence of a PSN ID. In another post, Baskinator added: “This is (Helldivers) Sony’s IP, so it makes sense that they would want to use the tools they developed for these things.”
In response to a user who said he felt like the rug was pulled out from under him, Baskinator said: “Well, we always knew this day would come, and it’s unfolding like I expected that 😅 I’m actually happy that we might be able to take action against player reports and make the game safer across the board, personally.
Helldivers 2 is Sony’s biggest launch ever on PC, and Steam players make up a significant portion of the overall player base. It’s one of the surprise hits of 2024, partly due to launching on PS5 and PC at the same time, with fully effective cross-play. Arrowhead has been praised for its community management and Helldivers 2 live service, with early server issues now a distant memory. But this announcement from Sony should test the loyalty of Helldivers 2’s most die-hard fans.
Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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