Helldivers 2 PC Players Will Be Forced To Link A PSN Account Starting This Month

Helldivers 2 PC players will soon need to sign in to the game with a PlayStation Network account, making an optional part of the game mandatory for everyone moving forward. This requirement was originally planned for Helldivers 2 when it first launched, but due to technical issues and the early success of the game, developer Arrowhead postponed implementing it.

According to the developer on its Discord channel, linking accounts is one of its main methods for protecting players from griefing and abuse by more toxic elements of the community, while also allowing banned players the right to appeal.

“As of May 6, all new Helldivers 2 players on Steam will be required to connect their Steam account to a PlayStation Network account,” Arrowhead explained. “Current players on Steam will start to see the mandatory login from May 30 and will be required to have linked a Steam and PlayStation Network account by June 4.”

Not long after this news broke, the Steam storefront page for Helldivers 2 was flooded with thousands of negative user reviews. Some players are concerned about potential security risks and data harvesting, while others have pointed out that they may not be able to play the game due to the PlayStation Network not being available in their region. While it isn’t unusual for a Steam game to force players to link an account–Xbox games like Sea of Thieves do this–Helldivers 2 is currently the only PlayStation Studios PC port with this requirement.

In other news from the Helldivers 2 front, a recent patch has nerfed several of the more popular weapons in the game and the next Warbond, Polar Patriots, has been revealed. This new selection of winter-themed weapons and armor will go live on May 9 and includes a high-damage assault rifle, incendiary impact grenades, and new armor sets.