Original Helldivers Caught in Review-Bomb Crossfire Amid Helldivers 2 Drama

The first installment of Helldivers on Steam is being inundated with negative reviews due to the ongoing turmoil surrounding Helldivers 2 and its relationship with PlayStation.

Recently, Helldivers 2 faced criticism for strictly enforcing its requirement for players to connect through a PlayStation Network account. Those without a PSN account risk being banned from the game or completely denied access.

The situation caused a great deal of outrage within the community, particularly because PSN is not accessible in several countries. As a result, numerous players would be unable to play the game they had bought.

As a result, the community’s dissatisfaction was evident through a surge of negative reviews for Helldivers 2 on Steam. The game, which was previously praised, currently holds an overall rating of “Mixed”with a majority of recent reviews being “Overwhelmingly Negative.”

Additionally, Arrowhead’s CEO Johan Pilestedt has unfortunately announced on his Twitter/X account that the original Helldivers title will also be receiving the same treatment.

What’s next? Review bombing Magicka and Gauntlet as well? Other PlayStation titles?

— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 5, 2024

The Pilestedt expressed deep sadness over the review-bombing of Helldivers due to the recent Helldivers 2 controversy. They questioned if this trend would continue and lead to review bombing of other PlayStation titles like Magicka and Gauntlet.

The previous installment had previously achieved a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, with more than 21,000 reviews. However, the original game has recently been receiving backlash from users due to controversy surrounding its sequel.

The recent influx of reviews, totaling close to 1,000, have caused its rating to drop to “Mixed,”and new reviews are being received daily.

In response to the passionate outcry from Helldivers 2 fans, PlayStation has decided to cancel the May 6 update. This will now allow Steam players to play the game without needing a PSN account.