Helldivers 2 no longer available in many countries due to account restrictions
Because you will soon need a PSN account to play Helldivers 2, Steam is removing the title from its range in many countries – because there is no PSN there.
The ratings for Helldivers 2 on Steam are plummeting like this burning wreck from the game.
(Bild: Steam)
The co-op shooter Helldivers 2 is actually a successful game. However, negative reviews have been raining down on the Steam platform for a few days now, currently well over 100,000.
Although the title had a bumpy start due to overloaded servers, the game has enjoyed worldwide popularity since the end of February 2024. Until Sony, which distributes Helldivers 2 for PCs and PlayStations, came up with the idea of requiring two accounts for PC players a few days ago: You need one for Steam anyway to be able to buy the title digitally, now you have to have one for the Playstation Network (PSN).
As Sony writes in an announcement on Steam on May 3, 2024, all Steam players will have to link their accounts to PSN access from May 6. From May 30, a message will appear when starting the game, and from June 6, Helldivers 2 can no longer be played without the account connection.
Account requirement in countries where there is no PSN
Sony emphasizes in the announcement that this is necessary to protect players from abusive behavior and abuse. This is the only way to block offenders and give them the opportunity to raise an objection. Community moderation is becoming an ever greater problem for studios and platform operators, especially in multiplayer titles. However, Sony has apparently not considered the fact that there are players who have purchased the title in countries where the PSN is not even available.
Presumably to protect itself from lawsuits and recourse claims, Steam has no longer offered Helldivers 2 for sale in many countries since May 4, 2023. According to SteamDB, a service independent of Steam, there are currently around 170 countries. These include numerous nations in Africa and the Middle East. At the same time, Steam has apparently made its return policy for games already purchased more generous. While it is usually only possible to return a title after two hours of play in exchange for a refund, users are currently reporting that this is also the case with Helldivers 2 after many more hours of play.
Arrowhead CEO the target of criticism
Helldivers 2 comes from the Swedish studio Arrowhead, and its boss Johaan Pilstedt naturally receives a lot of criticism via his X account because he is one of the few people responsible for the game to make a personal statement. However, as Pilstedt has said several times before, he or Arrowhead are not responsible for decisions such as the PSN account requirement. The game is apparently largely owned by Sony.
Pilstedt apologized for the situation several times over the weekend and acknowledged that many negative reviews on Steam were justified. "Your voices have been heard," he wrote in a recent post. According to Pilstedt, they are currently in talks with Sony to find a solution – including for countries where there is no PSN. But, the developer explained: "I don't have the last word on this."
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