In early May, Sony announced that in order to continue to play Helldivers 2, Steam players would need to link their accounts to a PlayStation Network account. But this announcement went over poorly, to say the least. Some players stipulated that they would literally be unable to create a PlayStation Network account because their region would not allow them to. Others simply did not want to have to share their information with Sony. But after the massive negative outcry, the company has reversed course.
PlayStation shared on Twitter that “The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new [Helldivers 2] players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward.”
Johan Pilestedt, the CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios, which develops Helldivers 2, commented that he felt impressed by the collaborative energy of the community. He also praised PlayStation and Sony for being nimble in undoing the unpopular edict. ( The second time in recent history the companies have backtracked on an unpopular announcement.) He noted, “We together want to set a new standard for what a live game is, and how developers and community can support each other to create the best game experiences.”
We guess that’s the power of players in action.