AFTER A GREAT LAUNCH SONY PULLS A 180 AND MAKES PLAYERS UPSET
Sony has taken the drastic step of pulling
Helldivers 2 from over 150 regions
In response to mounting backlash from players, Sony has taken the drastic step of pulling Helldivers 2 from over 150 regions. The move comes after a controversial decision to require all Steam players to sign in with a PlayStation Network (PSN) account.
Initially announced on Friday, the requirement for PSN linking was met with significant opposition, leading to over 100,000 negative Steam reviews in less than 48 hours. Social media platforms were also abuzz with criticism of the decision.
The crux of the issue lies in the fact that PSN is not available in over 150 countries where Helldivers 2 was previously purchasable on Steam. Consequently, the game has been delisted in these regions, according to SteamDb.
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Compounding the situation, Steam is now issuing refunds for Helldivers 2 regardless of playtime, a departure from its typical refund policy. While players can create PSN accounts for other regions, the lack of official support for this feature has exacerbated the problem.
Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead, the studio behind Helldivers 2, has indicated that discussions are ongoing with PlayStation regarding potential solutions to address the backlash.
Despite the controversy, Helldivers 2 has already achieved considerable success, ranking 7th in lifetime US dollar sales for Sony-published games after just two months of availability, according to research firm Circana.
As the situation continues to unfold, it underscores the challenges faced by developers and publishers in navigating the evolving landscape of digital distribution platforms and player expectations.
