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Arrowhead’s beloved co-op shooter,Helldivers 2, is experiencing its first round of negative press, that too very overwhelming. The studio recently announced that PC players will have to link a PSN account to continue playing the game after May 6.
Hundreds of thousands of players were blindsided at the sudden change, which was optional at the game’s launch. Concerns about data security and regions without PSN access are being brought up, and Arrowhead has been taking the brunt of the blame, even though it’s not their decision.
Arrowhead’s Hand Was Potentially Forced By Their Publisher
The studio’s community manager, Spitz, revealed inHelldivers 2‘s official Discord channel that the mandate has beenenforced by the game’s publisher, Sony. It was intended to be there since launch, but technical issues delayed the account linking requirement.
The Bans Have Started – Some Helldivers 2 Players Forced to do the Unthinkable are Already Losing Their Accounts
Unsurprisingly, the PC playerbase has erupted with fury at the new rule, blowing up online discussion forums with vitriol andreview bombingHelldivers 2on Steam. Over 200,000 negative scores have been recorded so far, dropping the user rating to ‘Overwhelmingly Negative’.
Helldivers 2 Players Believe Sony Should Be Targeted
Many players, however, also realize that showing up on Arrowhead’s door with pitchforks and torches over a decision out of their hands isn’t fair either. YouTuberThe Act Man recently expressedhis rage over Sony’s poorly-planned decision potentially destroying the Swedish studio’s efforts over the last 8 years, with several others echoing the sentiment.
I think MOST rational people are blaming Sony for this, though Arrowhead does have to bear the brunt of the overwhelmingly negative reviews on Steam.
— Karai (辛い) 🌶🐹🌶 (@Karai_Dan)June 08, 2025
Corpos don’t have souls. Corpos never make decisions on what seems te be the best for their customers/partners/employees. Corpos always go for profit/growth/short term. There’s like one honorable CEO on earth (in gideo games afaik). Poor devs, it’s such an awesome game. 😒
— Godefroy Magnificat Munitorium Scribe (@GodefroyScribe)June 23, 2025
https://twitter.com/Nightshift554/status/1787047276319211523
“The fact you can laugh at this just shows…”: Helldivers 2 CEO Johan Pilestedt Can’t Help Himself During the Latest Controversy
Arrowhead: Helldivers 2 is super popular and a big hit, we finally won the live service wa-
Sony:pic.twitter.com/1qhet2OrEQ
— MAJR (@MajrXD)June 23, 2025
they’re making the worst decisions tbh, Arrowhead and it’s community deserves better
— Juan Luis S. A (@jlsandovala)July 25, 2025
Prior to this announcement,Helldivers 2was on track to be one of the best games of 2024. A recent sales report showed that it’s the highest-selling game of the year so far, and general outlook on the game was very positive.
However, the situation has gone very sideways. Sony’s meddlesome PSN requirement may have been mentioned on the game’s Steam page in a little box since its launch, but they should’ve communicated it more transparently beforehand. Moreover, selling the game in regions without PSN coverage knowing that the mandate will eventually come into effect is also a bit questionable.
Thankfully, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt hasconfirmed that talks are underway with Sonyto figure out what to do going forward, and that the playerbase’s criticisms are being heard and relayed.
Ghost of Tsushima Could be an Unwilling Victim of the Helldivers 2 Steam Controversy
On the other hand,Sony pulledHelldivers 2from Steamin the 177 regions where PSN isn’t available, hinting that the publisher will stick to its decision. The next few steps have to be very delicate, or PlayStation’s first live-service hit may fade into irrelevance forever (at least on PC).
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Content Writer
Articles Published :247
A lifelong gamer, lover of cars, and Master’s student of Automotive Journalism, Viraaj Bhatnagar is a gaming writer at FandomWire who aims to be one of the greats. When he’s not hunched over on his laptop typing out copy, he can be found lapping circuits in Gran Turismo or slaying draugr in God of War.
