Sony Backpedals on Controversial Helldivers 2 PSN Account Linking Update

gamerant.com:

PlayStation has announced that it no longer plans to push the controversial Helldivers 2 PlayStation Network account-linking update. The Helldivers 2 community was rocked by controversy after it was announced that PC users would have to link their Steam account to Sony's PlayStation Network by June if they wanted to continue playing the game. However, the resulting public outcry has seemingly convinced the publisher to rescind its decision.

In contrast to the overwhelmingly positive reception it received in the weeks following its release, Helldivers 2 has been the subject of widespread criticism from its own player base recently, with fans largely blindsided when developer Arrowhead Game Studios announced it would start requiring PC users to link their Steam account to PSN after a month-long grace period. The extreme public backlash was even severe enough to catch the attention of the developers, with members reportedly hosting internal discussions regarding how to resolve Helldivers 2's biggest controversy since its release and negotiable possible alternatives with publisher Sony.

Now, it seems the negotiations have borne fruit, and the wave of negative reviews for Helldivers 2 and calls for refunds have convinced the publisher to rethink its stipulations. The official PlayStation account on Twitter shared a post stating that it was scrapping plans for the account-linking update and that players will be able to continue spreading managed democracy without a PSN account for the foreseeable future. PlayStation concluded the post by additionally thanking PC players for their feedback and promising to keep them updated on future developments for Arrowhead Game Studios' hit PvE cooperative shooter.

Fans were overjoyed by the announcement, with the majority of users calling it a collective win for the player base as a whole. However, there were also some who remained concerned over the game's future. Several commenters were particularly worried whether this meant Sony