Helldivers 2 is now delisted in 177 regions on Steam following Sony’s PSN mandate, and the community is still reeling from confusion and outrage, as many in non-PSN countries have been abandoned. Amidst the backlash, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt revealed the Helldivers 2 team was aware of this controversial change at least six months before its February launch, neglecting to communicate this vital information to its players.
Helldivers 2‘s community coordination is second to none. Its players are more than accustomed to working together and fighting back invasions, calling down stratagems to turn the tide of battle. Now, that coordination is turning on the Arrowhead dev team as players rally to bring down the game’s Steam rating amidst Sony’s controversial decision to mandate that Steam players link their accounts to PSN accounts.
If this mess made you think of another meme-worthy debacle à la Blizzard’s Diablo Immortal 2018 announcement, then you’re not alone. Arrowhead CEO, Johan Pilestedt opened an X post with a lighthearted callback to, “What? You guys don’t have phones?” He takes a serious tone in the rest of the message, though. “Your voice has been heard,” Pilestedt writes. According to him, Arrowhead and Sony are working on solutions. He’s advocating for the community, but claims he also doesn’t have the “final say” on the matter.
One X user, @Isak_N, called out Pilestedt for acting blameless, echoing the community’s sentiment that Arrowhead isn’t taking enough responsibility for the situation. Pilestedt revealed that the team did know PSN accounts would be mandatory… six months before the game came out. “We didn’t talk about it enough,” he said. In fact, Pilestedt was the one who decided to disable account linking at launch without informing players that it would become a requirement later on.
Why Was Helldivers 2 Sold in Non-PSN Regions?
This begs the question: Why was Helldivers 2 allowed to be sold in non-PSN countries? Pilestedt responded, “We do not handle selling the game,” throwing the blame on its publisher, Sony. Though Arrowhead didn’t have control over selling the game, the lack of communication has destroyed a hefty amount of community trust and goodwill.
When it comes down to it, the problem isn’t that Arrowhead was aware of the upcoming change; it’s that they chose not to disclose it to players clearly and in a timely fashion. Regardless, players are still hopeful for a solution. However, it seems Arrowhead is fighting an uphill battle against Sony.
