Highlights
- Johan Pilestedt is working to get Helldivers 2 relisted on Steam in regions where it was removed due to PSN link controversy.
- Arrowhead Games Studios fought for players’ access to Helldivers 2, leading to Sony backtracking on account linking.
- Helldivers 2 remains inaccessible in 177 regions.
Arrowhead Games Studio CEO and Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt has confirmed that he is working on getting the game relisted on Steam in the certain regions it was recently removed from. This news comes after the controversy about requiring PC players to link PlayStation Network accounts to continue playing Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2 was subjected to mass review bombing and outrage against Arrowhead and publisher Sony, mainly because of the limited number of regions where PSN is supported and the potential revocation of the game’s access for players in those regions. Shortly after, Helldivers 2 was delisted from 177 regions, which happened to be exactly the ones without PSN coverage, amplifying the outrage further. Thankfully, Sony eventually walked back on the decision, but Helldivers 2 still remains inaccessible in the aforementioned regions.
Helldivers 2 Releases New Paid Warbond
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios launches the new Helldivers 2 premium warbond, introducing a range of new content for players.
Luckily, Johan Pilestedt is on the case. The Helldivers Alerts Twitter account recently posted a screenshot from Arrowhead’s official Discord server, wherein the CEO acknowledged the problem regarding Helldivers 2 being removed from 177 regions. He assured fans that he is discussing the game’s reinstatement in those regions with Sony and Valve, but didn’t promise any timeline for the same. He also remarked that getting Sony to backtrack on the account linking controversy was a “herculean effort,” potentially hinting that having Helldivers 2 relisted may take a while.
Arrowhead Went to Bat for the Players, and Won
Arrowhead’s transparency and support for the community is praiseworthy. The studio has maintained open dialogue with the player base since the launch of Helldivers 2, proven further by Arrowhead community manager Spitz encouraging fans to express their dissatisfaction with the PSN account linking mandate in order to build a stronger case in discussions with Sony, thereby leading to the review bombing. Sadly, it was recently discovered that Spitz was fired, resulting in many Helldivers 2 players petitioning for the community manager to be brought back.
In the midst of the controversy, it did appear that the success and goodwill Helldivers 2 racked up in the past 3 months may have been spoiled forever, and that the community would largely abandon the game. Fortunately, Sony backpedaled in due time, leading to Helldivers 2‘s review bombed negative scores being reversed and back to its usual “Mostly Positive” rating. However, the controversy isn’t over, as the game has yet to be restored in those 177 regions. It’s puzzling why Sony sold the game there in the first place, knowing it would eventually enforce the PSN requirement, but thanks to the community and Arrowhead, Helldivers 2 players in those regions can rest easy knowing they’ll have worry-free access to the game.
Helldivers 2
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Released
- February 8, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
