Sony reverses controversial Helldivers 2 PSN requirement
Following significant backlash from the Helldivers 2 community, Sony has decided to reverse its recent decision to require players to create a PlayStation Network account in order to play the game.
The details:
Sony announced last week that in order to access Helldivers 2, all players would need to sign into a PSN account by June 4. When the game launched, the requirement was originally absent due to technical issues.
The decision received a largely negative response from fans, as the game was removed from sale in 177 territories where PSN is not available. Over 100,000 negative reviews were posted on Steam in less than 48 hours, and players were able to receive refunds even after playing the game for an extended period of time.
Sony has now confirmed that a PSN account is no longer required, with Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt thanking PlayStation for reversing the decision and stating that he was "impressed" by the community's reaction. “Firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the Helldivers 2 community and your ability to collaborate,” Pilestedt wrote. “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.”
Players have also begun reversing their negative reviews, with over 72,000 positive reviews posted on Steam since Sony's latest announcement, bringing its recent review score up to "mixed".
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