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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Sony canceled its planned PlayStation Network account-linking requirement for Helldivers 2 players on Steam on May 5, 2024, after player backlash. The requirement had been temporarily optional at launch because of technical issues, but Sony’s planned return to mandatory linking raised a separate problem: the game had been sold in countries where PSN was unavailable.
Why was PSN linking optional when Helldivers 2 launched?
Helldivers 2 launched for PC and PlayStation 5 on February 8, 2024, according to Arrowhead Game Studios’ FAQ. At launch, Steam players could play without linking a PSN account because, as Sony and Arrowhead later explained in their May 2024 FAQ, technical issues led them to make linking temporarily optional.
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The original FAQ said that the grace period was ending and that Sony intended to reinstate the requirement. Sony’s stated reason was player safety: linking was presented as a way to use reporting, moderation, enforcement—including bans and suspensions—and appeals systems. That was the company’s explanation, not independent evidence that it was the only reason for the policy.
What was Sony’s planned schedule?
The May 2024 FAQ laid out two dates for Steam players:
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- May 6, 2024: new Steam players would begin seeing prompts to link a PSN account.
- May 30, 2024: existing Steam players would begin facing mandatory linking, with June 4 set as the deadline.
That plan did not go ahead. On May 5, PlayStation announced that the update “will not be moving forward.” In a statement reproduced by Ars Technica, PlayStation said it had heard player feedback, was still learning what was best for PC players, and considered that feedback invaluable.
Why did players object?
The reversal followed strong player objections to requiring Steam users to link accounts, but the regional mismatch made the proposal especially consequential. PSN was not available in every country where Helldivers 2 had been sold. For players in unsupported territories, a mandatory account-linking policy could have made continued access a practical problem.
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Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt acknowledged that the launch exception and the way it was communicated had helped create confusion. As quoted by Ars Technica, he said: “I do have a part to play. I am not blameless in all of this – it was my decision to disable account linking at launch so that players could play the game. I did not ensure players were aware of the requirement and we didn’t talk about it enough.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did canceling the requirement restore sales everywhere?
No. Canceling mandatory linking and restoring Steam sales in every region were separate outcomes. On May 9, 2024, PC Gamer reported that the game remained unavailable on Steam in 177 countries and territories without PSN service, even after Sony’s reversal. The report quoted Pilestedt saying he was talking with PlayStation and Valve and pushing to undo the restrictions. That 177-country figure describes the situation reported at the time; it is not a current availability count.
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Arrowhead’s FAQ, updated September 24, 2026, lists the game for Steam and PS5, but does not establish that Steam sales are currently available in every country. Its silence about account linking also does not, by itself, establish the current login policy. The confirmed point about the 2024 controversy is that PlayStation canceled the scheduled update on May 5.
How many copies had Helldivers 2 sold by the reversal?
Sony Interactive Entertainment reported 12.0 million cumulative sell-through units for Helldivers 2 across PS5 and PC as of May 5, 2024—87 days after release—in its FY25.4Q supplemental information. Sony describes selected first-party software unit figures as estimates and says they exclude add-on content. This is a dated combined-platform figure, not a current lifetime total.
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