Helldivers 2's PlayStation Network Rule Has Fans Demanding Refunds

Some "Helldivers 2" players are really unhappy right now, and much like the last time fans were in an uproar, there's almost nothing Arrowhead Game Syudios can do to solve the problem. The current issue has to do with Sony and the fact that it wants to require everyone – even Steam users – to access via PlayStation Network. On May 2, Sony made the announcement that it's going to start requiring "Helldivers 2" players to link their Steam account with a PSN account — starting May 6.

A large section of the player community is very unhappy with this announcement. There's already a seemingly endless deluge of accounts and launchers that PC players need to have set up to have full access to their gaming catalog, and no one is ever excited to be given more hoops to jump through. At best, players have argued that linking a PSN account to a Steam account is just one more inconvenient barrier to playing "Helldivers 2." At worst, it can prevent some players from getting into the game at all.

Players are taking to the internet to complain and even demand refunds. Arrowhead is doing its best to control the damage, all while Sony is trying to explain why having a PSN account is totally worth it. The game's in chaos, and even after you hear the full explanation behind Sony's decision, it's hard not to side with the players here.

First off, it is worth remembering that "Helldivers 2" is a Sony exclusive, even though PC players have been allowed to get in on the action. It's also worth pointing out that  the PSN-linking requirement has technically existed since before the game launched. As Sony reminded everyone in the update it posted to Steam, "Due to technical issues at the launch of 'Helldivers 2,' we allowed the linking requirements for Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account to be temporarily optional."

Sony is referring to when the "Helldivers" devs had to apologize for the game being completely unplayable in the days just after launch. Because the servers were so overloaded, Sony temporarily dropped the PSN requirement, which aided in getting players logged in quicker. Now that initial "grace period" is coming to an end, but players won't have to sign up for a PSN account right away on May 6. They'll actually have until June 4 to either link accounts or hand over their helmets and Helldivers-issued firearms.

Over on the official "Helldivers" Discord channel, Arrowhead's community managers are trying to calm people down, pointing out that Arrowhead has very little to do with this decision, and that the dev team is waiting on more info from Sony. Considering Sony publishes the game, it's probably true that Arrowhead's hands are tied here, but that hasn't made fans any happier.

It's fair to say that the majority of the "Helldivers 2" community is upset by this move. Many feel like this requirement has been sprung on them after months of being able to play the game through Steam alone with no issue. Players are review-bombing the title on Steam, putting dents in its shiny user score. Meanwhile, social media is filling up with stories of furious players attempting to refund their copy of "Helldivers 2," only to find that they've put too much time into the game for the refund to even be considered by customer support. Sony does have a few defenders in its corner, though, who have pointed out that this was always in the cards.

Man if only there was some kind of notice about PSN being required for Helldivers 2. Really shitty for their to be no warning about this

Oh wait pic.twitter.com/5lzUxduuzh

— Monran (@MonranTV) May 3, 2024

The requirement may have been there from the beginning, but many players jumped into the game after Sony waived it. Now, some players are realizing that they may be locked out of the game for good. "My region (Sri Lanka) isn't even on the country list supported on PSN. I can't even create an account," wrote one Redditor. Players from across the globe chimed in with similar complaints, while others pointed out that choosing to register your PSN account in a different region breaks Sony's Terms of Service and can get you banned. Even so, Sony claims that this change is necessary: "This is our main way to protect players from griefing and abuse."

For the current situation pic.twitter.com/gv7Orif0M3

— Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) May 3, 2024

You know things have gotten bad when even mainstream fan accounts are turning on a game's publisher. Here's hoping Sony changes its tune – otherwise the Helldivers may find themselves suffering from thinning ranks.