Steam Reportedly Issuing Helldivers 2 Refunds Following Controversial Change

If you want your money back for Helldivers 2, Steam is loosening its requirements.

By Marc Deschamps

Helldivers 2 has been one of PlayStation's biggest releases of 2024, with the game receiving near universal praise from users on PS5 and Steam. However, things took a sudden turn on Friday, with the announcement that Helldivers 2 will now require a linked PlayStation Network account, regardless of platform. That new requirement has led to heavy backlash against developer Arrowhead Game Studios, and to Helldivers 2 being review bombed on Steam. According to SteamDB, the game has now been delisted in more than 150 countries, as PSN is not available in those regions. As a result of this change, Steam has apparently loosened the requirements for refunds on Helldivers 2, making it easier for users to get their money back. 

Steam's Loosened Refund Requirements

Traditionally, Steam only offers refunds for games if the user has spent less than two hours playing it, and has owned the game for more than two weeks. This way, a user can't spend a bunch of time with a game, only to send it back over a petty grievance. Those restrictions are sometimes loosened when there are issues with a game, and this certainly qualifies. On Twitter, some users have noted that their refund requests were initially denied based on those traditional requirements, but secondary requests were approved by Steam. It's unclear how long these loosened restrictions will be in place, so those interested in claiming a refund should plan to do so soon. 

It should be noted that users in countries that don't have PlayStation Network can apparently create a PSN account for an area that does have them; there just isn't official support for these locations. Regardless, the whole thing is being viewed as an extra hassle, and Steam users aren't happy that this was added after the fact. Some have pointed to past PSN data breaches as a reason they oppose creating an account, while others are just upset over a matter of principle. Whatever the case might be, Steam is looking to make things right with players, and if you don't want to stick with Helldivers 2, there's now an option to get your money back. 

Will PlayStation Go Back on These Changes?

With so many people clearly upset by these changes, it will be interesting to see if PlayStation decides to go back on this decision, or if the company continues as planned. The changes to Helldivers 2 have not gone into effect just yet. Newcomers to the game will see the requirement starting on May 6th; existing players won't be prompted to create a PSN account until May 30th, and will have until June 4th to do so. At that point, it stands to reason that players will no longer be able to jump into matches. Since there's no single-player campaign, that will effectively make the game unplayable for those that refuse to create an account. 

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How do you feel about this new requirement for Helldivers 2? Will you claim a refund for the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Wario64]

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