The community manager for Helldivers 2, Spitz, communicated several statements through messages on the game’s official Discord. These statements disclosed that the changes were mandated by Sony and that they were met with a “universally negative”reaction within the company.
Since the announcement of the PSN requirement, players have suspected that Arrowhead was not the sole driving force behind the decision to make a PSN account mandatory for playing on Steam.
As it turns out, the players were correct. Despite the official statement on their Steam page stating that linking a Steam account with a PSN account was “temporarily optional,”the change was heavily criticized by players. And, according to community manager Spitz, the developers share the same sentiments.
“Ongoing internal discussions are being held regarding the mandatory linking change. Although I am unable to disclose specific information, our development teams have expressed a largely negative response. We are currently exploring alternative options.”
He further asserted that he had no knowledge of the potential impact of PSN’s mandatory inclusion on players in countries where PSN accounts cannot be created. He clarified that the FAQ, Steam announcement, and implementation of the change were all initiated by Sony, not by Arrowhead.
Furthermore, he offered words of comfort to concerned players who feared they would no longer be able to participate in the game.
Helldivers 2 community manager Spitz claims negative reviews help when trying to negotiate for change with Sony.
“In case a more suitable option is not available for players residing in regions without PSN coverage, we will not make it mandatory for them to meet this requirement. We do not intend to compel individuals to either violate Sony’s Terms of Service or refrain from playing the game.”
Earlier in the day, Spitz found himself in a difficult situation due to his comments about the game and his belief that the change was not significant. However, he has since offered an apology.
“I take responsibility for letting the negativity affect me and causing me to behave rudely towards some individuals. I understand why people may be upset about the mandatory account linking, as I am also not pleased with it. My suggestion to leave negative reviews was genuine. However, there are constructive and destructive ways to express dissatisfaction, and attacking the developers and moderators is not the solution and will not result in a change of decision,”he clarified.
Spitz further added, “It is understandable that people are emotional about this change and may no longer be able to participate in the game. It is unfortunate. I want to clarify that I am not attacking anyone for their dissatisfaction, but rather, I am trying to shield my team from any potential backlash. That is why I took the responsibility upon myself.”
The Arrowhead team made it clear that they are supporting the players in this battle, reassuring fans.
Despite his initial criticism of the announcement, Pirate Software ultimately commended these statements in a tweet, though he did not hold back in his criticism of Sony’s involvement.
According to Pirate Software, this entire situation was unnecessary and reflects poorly on Sony as a publisher.
Ultimately, although the game’s reputation may be affected by the level of review bombing, the developers remain optimistic that the strong negative reaction from the community will push Sony to make necessary changes. In this scenario, the impact of these negative reviews could have significant importance.
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