Sony has reversed a decision that would have required Helldivers 2 players to link their Steam accounts to PlayStation Network accounts.
In an announcement this morning, the official PlayStation account posted a tweet reading "Helldivers fans - we've heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account liking update." That update, which was due to roll out today and would have required all players to link their accounts by May 30, "will not be moving forward." Sony goes on to say that "we're still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable." That 'feedback' likely refers to the tanking of support for the game on Steam, as well as a massive backlash on social media.
More than 200,000 negative reviews were posted on Helldivers 2's Steam page after Sony announced the change, which would have limited access to Helldivers 2 for players in many countries around the world where PSN isn't supported.
Elsewhere, community members discussed solutions such as boycotts and class-action lawsuits, while Steam began overruling its strict two-hour refund policy for affected players.
Firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate. Secondly I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional.