Helldivers 2 Swamped with Negative Reviews Due to PlayStation Account Requirement
Helldivers 2 players aren't too happy about PlayStation's latest requirement.
Some Helldivers 2 players woke up and went straight to the game's Steam reviews to leave negative marks on breakout hit after PlayStation announced a new requirement that'll be in effect as of early June. Sony Interactive Entertainment announced late Thursday night that all Helldivers 2 players on Steam moving forward will be required to have a PlayStation Network account linked to their Steam accounts if they want to keep playing the game. The natural conclusion to that demand was that Helldivers 2 deserved a review bomb with nearly 6,000 negative reviews posted since the announcement was made.
Many games nowadays require specific accounts with publishers to play such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and more, so the fact that SIE is mandating a linked PSN account to Steam isn't really the issue here. Rather, Helldivers 2 players are understandably annoyed at the fact that the requirement hasn't been in place since the game launched and is only just now being enforced. The "grace period" for not having to link accounts was in place due to technical issues at the launch of Helldivers 2, SIE said, but since those have seemingly been resolved by now, Helldivers 2 players will have to link their accounts.
Helldivers 2 Requiring PlayStation Network Accounts
But what about Helldivers 2 players who only play on Steam and never had a PSN account in the first place? If that's you, it looks like you'll just have to make an account if you want to keep playing. SIE said that anyone who's brand new to Helldivers 2 as of May 6th or afterwards will be required to create and link a PSN account and for those who've already been playing since launch, you'll start seeing a mandate in-game on May 30th that tells you to link your PSN account to your Steam account. You'll have from then until June 4th to make sure everything is in order, and if it's not after that point, you presumably won't be able to play.
SIE had this to say about why the PSN requirement is being enforced:
"Account linking plays a critical role in protecting our players and upholding the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games," SIE said. "This is our main way to protect players from griefing and abuse by enabling the banning of players that engage in that type of behaviour. It also allows those players that have been banned the right to appeal."
Reading through some of the newer Helldivers 2 reviews on Steam, you'll see some of the responses to the requirement. The graph below shows the sharp uptick in negative reviews on the right.
"Forcing players to link or be banned from the game months after launch is unacceptable," reads one review. "I would refund this if I had the opportunity to do so. Honestly absurd behavior from Arrowhead."
"Now with forced 3rd party account or your game purchase is invalid," reads another review from a user which, ironically enough, got the game for free.
Another review said "it's the principle of the matter" which seems to be the common theme among these reviews since creating or linking a PSN account to Steam is such a simple task that it obviously doesn't warrant these negative reviews. Some of the more coherent points made outside of these Steam reviews expressed concerns at some of the times that PlayStation's suffered hacks or data breaches involving PSN and what that could mean for Steam users who'd only have a PSN account for this game. Others weren't really buying the explanation from SIE as tools for banning or avoiding players already exist in Steam and in Helldivers 2 itself.
Regardless of what Helldivers 2 players think of the PSN account requirement, it'll be in effect by June 4th, so be prepared to make and link an account if you want to keep playing.
