As Helldiver 2's reviews continue to collapse on Steam, Arrowhead's best-selling action game has been pulled from around 177 countries in the wake of the new PSN account linking requirement that has turned its fanbase upside down.
Egypt, Georgia, Jamaica, and Morocco are some of the notable countries where Helldivers 2 can no longer be purchased due PSN not being available, sparking confusion among fans. Japan is also among the countries listed, but according to SteamDB it has a separate package and is still available, though users can't buy the "global version."
Helldivers 2 is no longer purchasable in 177 countries where PSN is not available (but some are still available like Baltics).
— SteamDB (@SteamDB) May 5, 2024
This game has now received 215,000 negative reviews. pic.twitter.com/jJrb9QFafR
In the meantime, Helldivers 2's recent reviews on Steam are now "Overwhelmingly Negative" amid continued review bombing by fans. On Friday, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilstedt apologized for the requirement in a statement posted to X/Twitter, writing, "Ouch, right in the review score. Well, I guess it's warranted. Sorry everyone for how this all transpired. I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience. I just want to make great games!”
The controversy kicked off on Friday when Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that the "grace period" in which Helldivers 2 did not need to be connected to a PSN account was ending. Starting May 6, all new Helldivers 2 players on Steam will be required to connect their Steam account to PSN. Existing Steam players will begin seeing a mandatory login on May 30.
The requirement has sparked a massive online backlash against SIE that has continued throughout the weekend.
"What a clusterf*ck," wrote independent developer Rami Ismail on X/Twitter. "For all my criticism of Steam — its incredible that they're choosing to take the hit for Sony's nonsense to ensure nobody ends up with a unusable game because of Playstation's super limited accessibility globally. Absolutely terrible decision-making by Sony."
PlayStation has yet to respond to the account linking controversy.
Arrowhead is "talking solutions" with PlayStation
Up until Friday, Helldivers 2 was a notable win for SIE, earning Game of the Year notice for its excellent community engagement. It's been one of the best-selling games of 2024 to this point, with an estimated 8 million copies sold as of March 2024. Now its future may be in doubt as fans abruptly turn on the sensationally popular game.
Is this the moment to tweet "What? You guys don't have phones?" 😵💫
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 5, 2024
On serious note: We are talking solutions with PlayStation, especially for non-PSN countries. Your voice has been heard, and I am doing everything I can to speak for the community - but I don't have the final…
Amid the anger, Pilestedt said that Arrowhead is working on a solution, but that the studio doesn't have the final say.
"Is this the moment to tweet 'What? You guys don't have phones?'" Pilestedt asked on X/Twitter, referencing Diablo Immortal's infamous reveal. "On serious note: We are talking solutions with PlayStation, especially for non-PSN countries. Your voice has been heard, and I am doing everything I can to speak for the community — but I don't have the final say."
The Arrowhead CEO, who has been actively engaging with fans since Helldivers 2's launch, has been morose and even a bit poetic since the controversy began. "Waking up to the sunshine of yesterday replaced with a dreary drizzle and shivering winds makes me reflect on how I spent my time those rare few moments when all was perfect."
"Yet rain is essential to growth and is what changes spring into summer. I will just have to wait for sunshine to return."
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
