PlayStation has actually revealed that, after about 3 days of online shouting and evaluating battle, it will no longer need Helldivers 2 gamers on PC to connect their Steam account to a PlayStation Network account in order to continue accessing the popular sci-fi co-op shooter.
On May 2, PlayStation and Arrowhead Games Studios– the designers behind Helldivers 2–revealed on Steam that a so-called “grace duration” was ending which all PC gamers would require a PSN account to keep playing among 2024’s finest computer game. Technically, this was constantly the strategy as kept in mind on the Helldivers 2 Steam shop page. Due to the video game’s unpleasant launch in FebruaryPC gamers were permitted to play without a PSN account. This resulted in an uncomfortable scenario on Thursday when Sony revealed all gamers would require to have a PlayStation account by June 4 to keep playing. Now, following a huge unfavorable responsePlayStation is backtracking.
Helldivers fans– we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account connecting upgrade. The May 6 upgrade, which would have needed Steam and PlayStation Network account connecting for brand-new gamers and for existing gamers starting May 30, will not be progressing.
We’re still …
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 6, 2024
In a tweet at midnight on May 5PlayStation stated it had actually heard all the “feedback” on connecting a Steam and PSN account and chose … nah, never ever mind.
“Helldivers fans– we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account connecting upgrade,” revealed PlayStation. “The May 6 upgrade, which would have needed Steam and PlayStation Network account connecting for brand-new gamers and for existing gamers starting May 30, will not be progressing.”
PlayStation stated it was still “discovering what is finest for PC gamers” and recommended all the feedback the business got about the scenario had actually been “important.”
“Thanks once again for your ongoing assistance of Helldivers 2 and we’ll keep you upgraded on future strategies,” concluded PlayStation’s late-night tweet.
This reverse on account connecting follows a terrible time for Arrowhead’s devs and neighborhood supervisorswho were required to handle a huge digital war throughout Twitter, Reddit, and Discord. The CEO of Arrowhead invested the majority of the weekend saying sorry on Twitter and speaking to upset fans.
Individuals were disturbed that the account connecting statement had actually come so long after the video game’s launch– even if technically this was constantly the strategy. Some questioned why, after months of having the ability to play online and usage crossplay, they all of a sudden required a totally free PSN account to play Helldivers 2 on Steam. Other gamers were distressed that Helldivers 2 had actually been offered on Steam in nations that do not have access to the PlayStation NetworkThis specific problem was just partly attended to by Sony in a Frequently asked question published online over the weekendIt likewise caused Helldivers 2 being eliminated from sale in some nations on Steama modification that will likely be gone back quickly.
It appears PlayStation has actually discovered an important lesson: Don’t presume every gamer reads the whole Steam shop page when purchasing a video game, and keep individuals in the loop on your strategies that might, one day, cut them off from the video game they purchased.