The fallout from Helldivers 2’s controversial new PlayStation Network (PSN) login requirement has intensified, with reports emerging that Steam is now offering full refunds to players regardless of their playtime on the game. This unprecedented move comes as developer Arrowhead Game Studios faces intense backlash and outcry from the community over the anti-consumer policy change.
According to posts on Reddit, Steam support is granting refund requests for Helldivers 2 purchases by citing disagreement with Sony’s new mandate – even for players with over 100 hours logged. Typically, Steam’s refund policy only covers games with less than two hours of playtime. However, in this exceptional case, Valve appears to be making an exemption in response to the controversy.
The situation began after Arrowhead announced that all existing and new Helldivers 2 players on Steam would soon be required to link a PSN account to continue playing, starting June 4th. This sparked an immediate uproar, particularly from gamers in regions where PSN access is restricted or non-existent, such as Ukraine.
The change blindsided many in the community, as Helldivers 2 had been playable on Steam without any PSN integration since its release last year. Sony claims the login was always intended as a requirement for analytic tracking and inclusion in its cross-platform metrics.
In the days following the announcement, Helldivers 2 was inundated with over 98,000 fresh negative reviews on Steam, tanking its rating to “Mostly Negative.” The game has also been pulled from sale in 177 countries that lack official PSN support.
Even Arrowhead’s own community managers have voiced displeasure over the policy, which some view as anti-consumer by locking players out of a game they already own unless they create an account for an unrelated platform.
By issuing blanket refunds, Steam has taken the unusual step of fully siding with users against the publisher’s new policy decision. It remains to be seen if this appeasement measure will quell the backlash or if more drastic actions, like delisting Helldivers 2, could follow.
As the chaos escalates, the situation has become a contentious example of the conflicts that can arise when mandatory third-party logins and accounts are introduced to existing games post-launch. For many, it has soured the goodwill built up around what was previously one of Steam’s success stories.
