Steam Make Decision Over Helldivers 2 Controversy

Steam have begun accepting refunds for Helldivers 2 players who have played over two hours, as the game is de-listed in over 100 countries after Sony’s controversial decision to require PC players to log into a PlayStation Network account to play the game. 

Steam have seemingly begun accepting refund requests for Helldivers 2 beyond the normal two hour limit after publishers Sony controversially changed its requirements to play.

Starting on 30th May 2024, with a firm deadline of June 4. New players will be required to connect their Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network (PSN) account with prompts starting from Monday 6th May 2024.

They now officially don’t sell the game in non-PSN countries anymore
byu/Eldan985 inHelldivers

As PSN is only available in just over 60 countries, it means that a % of the player base will no longer have access to the game that they have purchased. As such the game is now no longer to purchase on Steam in those countries.

Developer Arrowhead Games have made it clear that the decision was made by Sony with posts on their dedicated Discord Server and Twitter (X). They have encouraged fans to make their voice heard by changing their Steam review to negative, which resulted in over 100,000 reviews.

Helldivers 2 became Sony’s most successful PC launch, with its all time concurrent player count passing that of Starfield, Destiny 2 and higher budget AAA titles such as Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League. As of 1st May 2024 it was Sony’s seventh highest-grossing game.

Refunds on Steam work – here is good guy Steam accepting simple, straightforward logic.
byu/lockes5hadow inHelldivers

What is the reason for the change?

It has been claimed that this has always been an option, with the requirement temporarily removed due to technical issues at launch. The official statement cites  “safety and security” as the reason, with the ability to ban players across devices reportedly dependent on Sony’s network architecture. However, a more likely reason could be to boost active sign-ups for PlayStation Network to present to their investors and stakeholders.

Is this the moment to tweet "What? You guys don't have phones?" 😵‍💫

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…

— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 5, 2024

What does the future hold?

Arrowhead have been champions of fan feedback, they have listened and been active in engaging with the community. Whilst not all of their decisions have gone down well, (the Railgun nerf), the developers have always been able to explain the reasoning. However, with this decision out of their hands the developers and staff have taken a large amount of criticism which, with the player-pleasing attitude is likely hard to take.

There are three outcomes, number one, this is just the game now. Those that can no longer play are refunded and Sony’s attitude remains the same. Number two, they reverse the decision, which looks bad on Sony’s side as to investors it will look like they have been bullied into a decision by a fan-base. Option three, which is in my opinion the best option, the linking becomes optional, but those who do are offered some kind of incentive such as a cosmetic item.

The arrival of the rumoured Illuminate faction however could distract some from the news