GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 devs remind players “it’s Sony’s decision, not ours” amid PSN backlash: “We always knew this day would get here, and it’s going about how I expected"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 devs remind players “it’s Sony’s decision, not ours” amid PSN backlash: “We always knew this day would get here, and it’s going about how I expected"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Sony / Arrowhead)
One user asked the devs what they’re supposed to do about Helldivers 2 “forcing” this account link since they live in a country wherePSNisn’t available and even a VPN may not guarantee a workaround, pointedly concluding, “you just single handily [sic] kill your own game.”
Twinbeard responded, “First of all, it’s Sony’s decision, not ours. Secondly, we don’t have all the details about region related issues yet. We’re chasing Sony to get more info.”
Another user asked how to get feedback directly to Sony, and Twinbeard advised they “tell them yourself"using PlayStation’s support contact. That’s not some snippy remark, either; Twinbeard confirmed “it’s actually an approved support link we’re told to use.”
Community manager Baskinator sounded similarly weary in a response to a user who complained about the “optics” of account linking. “Well, we always knew this day would get here, and it’s going about how I expected,” she wrote. “I’m actually happy for us to be able to take action against player reports and make the game safer across the board, personally.”
In follow-up responses, Baskinator notes that “Sony has a dedicated team, a ban appeal process, and tools to take action on player reports, and it’s all connected to having a PSN ID.” She also echoed Twinbeard’s comment, reiterating that “it’s Sony’s IP, so it makes sense they’d want to use the tools they’ve developed for these things.”
As community managers who are now actively managing a suddenly unhappy community, Baskinator says “we’re doing everything we can,” including “compiling a sentiment report over the response now, and everyone’s feedback is being noted.”
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“We do our best to communicate what you think back to our stakeholders,” she adds in another Discord reply, noting that “we’re not, like, powerful people” driving these decisions.
As community manager Spitz affirmed in multiple replies, this news isn’t technically news: Helldivers 2 “has said a PSN account is required since literally before the game was purchasable.” This was only disabled at launch due to technical issues, and per Baskinator, it’s been a long time coming. Sony clearly hasn’t changed its mind in that time, so now it’s here, and here we are.
This PSN mess has clearly created some headache for Arrowhead, as well as PC gamers – the bigger part of Helldivers 2’s audience – who are understandably annoyed to suddenly be tethered to a platform they may not touch and, in some regions, may not even have direct access to. And even if it is just a minor annoyance for many, you’ve got to wonder if it’s worth the blowback as Sony expands its PC gaming plans. Sony can preach about account security all it wants, but after months of industry-dominating success from Helldivers 2, which built a famously positive community with no shortage of goodwill, the whole thing absolutely screams “easily avoided own-goal.”
Helldivers 2 players are shocked at the community kill-to-death ratio being a dire 0.3, but some are convinced it’s inaccurate.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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4
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”