Summary
- Helldivers 2 is facing backlash for requiring Steam users to link with PlayStation Network, leading to negative user reviews.
- Despite controversy, Helldivers 2 remains popular with new content regularly released for players to enjoy.
Helldivers 2 is being review bombed by Steam users who are upset about the game's requirement to link with a PlayStation Network account. Helldivers 2 is unique in that it is a PlayStation-published game that launched simultaneously on PC and PS5. While PlayStation exclusives have been making their way to PC in recent years, it's usually quite some time between the launch of the PS5 version and its eventual PC port.
Helldivers 2's multi-platform release has paid off big time, helping the game become one of the most popular new releases of the entire year. There's no denying that Helldivers 2 has been a smash hit on Steam, with many praising it as an example of a live-service game done right. While Helldivers 2 has been enjoying a great deal of praise from the community, the game is now finding itself being review bombed by disgruntled members of the community.
At launch, Helldivers 2 suffered from some technical problems that convinced Sony to offer a "grace period" when it came to the requirement to link one's Steam account to the PlayStation Network. However, the company recently indicated that the grace period is expiring, meaning Steam users will have to link to a PlayStation Network account if they want to continue playing Helldivers 2. As some might have guessed, this has greatly upset some Steam users, and they have started leaving negative reviews on the game's Steam page and Metacritic as a result.
Helldivers 2 Flooded With Negative User Reviews
The negative reviews, which consist of 0/10 and 1/10 scores, mainly complain about the account linking requirement. Some of the reviews mention dissatisfaction with some of the recent Helldivers 2 updates, but that seems to be minor compared to the real controversy. Sony has given no indication that it intends on backing down from the Helldivers 2 account linking requirement, and so it remains to be seen what exactly will come about from this situation.
Typically, Helldivers 2 is quick to respond to community feedback and concerns, but the developers' hands may be tied in this case. It seems unlikely that Sony will reverse course and remove the restriction to require Steam users to link to a PlayStation Network account, but time will tell.
Despite this controversy, Helldivers 2 remains an incredibly popular game. Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has regularly released new Helldivers 2 content to keep fans engaged, and there's plenty more on the way, like the Polar Patriots Warbond that's coming on May 9.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
The Galaxy’s Last Line of Offence. Enlist in the Helldivers and join the fight for freedom across a hostile galaxy in a fast, frantic, and ferocious third-person shooter.
URGENT BROADCAST – SUPER EARTH ARMED FORCES
Freedom. Peace. Democracy. Your Super Earth-born rights. The key pillars of our civilization. Of our very existence. But the war rages on. And everything is once again under threat.
Join the greatest military force the galaxy has ever seen and make this a safe and free place to live.
BECOME A LEGEND
You will be assembled into squads of up to four Helldivers and assigned strategic missions. Watch each other’s back – friendly fire is an unfortunate certainty of war, but victory without teamwork is impossible.
LOADOUTS
Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat. How you deliver liberty is your choice; you’ll have access to a wide array of explosive firepower, life-saving armor and battle-changing stratagems… the jewel in every Helldiver’s arsenal.
REQUISITION
Super Earth recognises your hard work with valuable Requisition. Use it to access different rewards that benefit you, your squad, your destroyer ship and our overall war effort.
THREATS
Everything on every planet wants you dead. That’s what we’re dealing with. Each enemy has distinct and unpredictable characteristics, tactics, and behavior – but they all fight ferociously and without fear or morality.
THE GALACTIC WAR
Capturing enemy planets, defending against invasions, and completing missions will contribute to our overall effort. This war will be won or lost depending on the actions of everyone involved.
We stand together, or we fall apart.
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
- Metascore
- 83
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC & PS5
