Sony cancels PSN and Steam linking for Helldivers 2

Sony has made a significant decision, responding to the concerns of the Helldivers 2 community. They have canceled their plans to force a mandatory link between the PlayStation Network (PSN) and Steam to play Helldivers 2.

As we reported at last week’s close, Helldivers fans were crestfallen that Sony was making plans to enforce account linking. It seems that an outcry from the acclaimed game’s fanbase was heard around Sony’s boardrooms.

The original statement that Sony released on Steam was received negatively by the Helldivers 2 community. There seemed to be little notice of the decision, and the mandatory nature and enforcement did little to entice players to set up a PSN account.

When the game launched, there was no mandatory requirement to have a linked PSN and Steam account. No path was ever laid by Sony that this was their intention. The original concerns and driving force behind the move were masked by “security” issues.

So players started canceling their time on Helldivers 2. Negative reviews were enthused by Arrowhead, the studio responsible for Helldivers 2, and other Arrowhead-developed titles started being aggressively review-bombed.

This forced Sony to post the U-turn publicly, marking a significant win for the gaming community and Arrowhead Studios. Sony posted via X:

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

Arrowhead has been synonymous with positive messaging and anti-cheat and non-pay-to-win features in their games. Earning the studio a respected perch in the minds of gamers and a cult following for Arrowhead’s Johan Pilestedt, the studio’s vocal CEO. He responded to Sony’s post, saying:

“Firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate. Secondly, I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional. We together want to set a new standard for what a live game is, and how developers and community can support each other to create the best game experiences.”

Interestingly the original Sony post also stated that security concerns drove the mandatory move, stating: “Account linking plays a critical role in protecting our players and upholding the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games.” However, given the decision to roll back plans to link accounts, these concerns seem unwarranted and might have been a trojan horse to get Steam users to jump the digital divide to the PSN.

Helldivers 2 fans will be happy as they contributed to Sony’s biggest-ever Steam launch with the title’s success. They have also made a vibrant Discord community and share a close relationship with Pilestedt, who interacts constantly with fans.

So, Sony’s decision to reverse these plans will be seen as a significant victory not only for the war for Super Earth but also for ethical gaming perspectives and treatment of a loyal and lucrative fanbase.

Image: Arrowhead Studios.

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