An embarrassing day for Helldivers 2.
It’s been a challenging day for Helldivers 2 as developer Arrowhead continues to wrestle with the fallout of an unexpected and unpopular announcement: Soon, all Helldivers 2 Steam players will be required to link a PlayStation account to continue playing.
Videogames requiring outside account linking is nothing new, but many Helldivers 2 players are protesting this mandate coming months after the game’s release, and with an insufficient warning that it was coming (Who really reads the fine print?). Fans are also calling foul on Sony’s reasoning for requiring PSN integration, citing security and « player protection » as things that are apparently only possible when you’re signed into PSN.
Today alone, Helldivers 2 has accrued over 20,000 negative Steam reviews, dropping the top-selling co-op shooter to a « Mixed » recent review rating.
All day, Arrowhead community managers have been fielding complaints on Discord, acknowledging players who feel their trust has been breached and assuring them that Sony is receiving the feedback. Only in the last few hours has Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt, who has been a core presence and personality in the Helldivers 2 community from the start, has opened up about the announcement.
