Helldivers 2 has enjoyed incredible – albeit unexpected – success since its launch back in February. This caused a number of technical issues for developer Arrowhead, as servers struggled to cater to high levels of player demand.
As a result, publisher Sony temporarily removed the requirement for Helldivers 2 players to link their Steam account to a PlayStation Network (PSN) account.
With these technical problems now resolved, Sony has announced via an official Steam blog post that the requirement to link accounts will return imminently.
“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. That grace period will now expire.”, the company said.
As a result of the grace period coming to an end, new players on Steam will need to connect to a PlayStation Network account from 6th May.
Existing PC players will have slightly longer to connect their accounts: “Current players on Steam will start to see the mandatory login from May 30th and will be required to have linked a Steam and PlayStation Network account by June 4th.”
Sony say the primary reason for connecting accounts is to protect players while “upholding the values of safety and security”. The system also enables the company “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.”
Naturally, the move has been met with player backlash. Over on X, some PC players are voicing their dissatisfaction in response to the announcement.
@Sargon_of_Akkad said “I don’t have a Playstation, so I guess I can’t play Helldivers any more then.” Similarly, @ChemicalHazard tweeted “I don’t have a PlayStation account. I don’t want a [PlayStation] account. Are you telling me I *have* to have a PlayStation account??”
Despite the criticism from players, the negative reaction is somewhat overblown. Sony noted in the blog post that “PlayStation Network accounts are free and easy to set up using this link
https://www.playstation.com/support/account/create-account-for-psn/“.
The company added “We understand that while this may be an inconvenience to some of you, this step will help us to continue to build a community that you are all proud to be a part of.”
What are your thoughts on the new PSN account requirements in Helldivers 2? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
