Sony Walks Back Helldivers 2 PSN Account Linking Requirement on Steam After Widespread Backlash

Sony has walked back on its decision that mandated new and existing Helldivers 2 players on Steam to link their PlayStation Network accounts to Valve's service after severe backlash over the weekend. On Friday, Sony had announced that users would need to link their Steam account to their PSN account to continue playing Helldivers 2. The PlayStation parent and Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios received widespread criticism over the move, leading to the game being review bombed on Steam.

In its latest update, Sony said that it would “not be moving forward” with the new requirement. “Helldivers fans -- we've heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update,” a post from the PlayStation handle on X said Monday morning. “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 learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we'll keep you updated on future plans,” the post added.

Sony's decision was met with widespread backlash from Helldivers players on PC. Over the weekend, the online co-op shooter received thousands of negative reviews, plummeting the game's overall score. The recent reviews for Helldivers 2 on Steam stand at ‘Mostly Negative,' while overall reviews are now ‘Mixed'. The game was also pulled from Steam in over 150 countries, where PSN is not officially available, with the Valve storefront issuing refunds to players.

Helldivers 2 developers Arrowhead Game Studios reached out to fans over the weekend and said that it was working on reaching a solution with publisher Sony. “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,” Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilstedt posted on X Sunday.

It seems Sony have read the room and responded to the backlash. The PSN account linking requirement is being dropped, but the decision has ended up damaging all the goodwill Helldivers 2 has accumulated since its release.

The online shooter was released on PS5 and PC in February and was met with critical acclaim and commercial success. Helldivers 2 quickly became a phenomenon on PC especially, climbing the charts to emerge as one of the most played games on Steam globally, even as the game battled technical issues.

Since its release, Arrowhead has issued numerous updates and bug fixes, in addition to regularly releasing new content as the game continues to retain a strong player base. On Monday, Pilstedt thanked PlayStation for listening to the community and reversing the decision quickly. “Firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate,” he said. “Secondly I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional,” he added.