Arrowhead CEO Johaan Pilstedt has issued an apology to frustrated fans of Helldivers 2 as the game faces a backlash on Steam. The controversy arose after Sony announced that Steam players would be required to link their accounts to a PlayStation Network (PSN) account in order to continue playing the popular third-person shooter. The announcement sparked outrage among players, who took to social media to express their discontent and threaten to quit the game.
Sony’s decision led to negative review bombing on Helldivers 2’s Steam page, with over 14,000 negative reviews flooding in. As a result, the game’s review score, which was previously “mostly positive,” dropped to “mixed.” In response to the backlash, Pilstedt took to Twitter to apologize for the situation, acknowledging the warranted criticism and expressing his desire to make amends. He stated, “Sorry everyone for how this all transpired. I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience. I just want to make great games!”
Pilstedt’s apology followed an earlier tweet in which he directed disgruntled players to contact PlayStation Support for any questions regarding account linking, rather than reaching out to Arrowhead directly. Sony justified the account linking requirement as a measure to ensure safety and security for players. They stated, “Account linking plays a critical role in protecting our players and upholding the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games.” The temporary optional status of account linking at launch was attributed to technical issues.
Starting June 4, all current Helldivers 2 players will be required to link their accounts in order to continue playing the game. The controversy surrounding the account linking requirement highlights the challenges faced by developers and players in navigating the evolving landscape of online gaming platforms.
Arrowhead Studios, the developer of Helldivers 2, remains committed to delivering a great gaming experience and aims to address the concerns raised by players. The apology from Pilstedt reflects the studio’s dedication to making amends and rebuilding trust among the player community. As the situation unfolds, players will be closely watching to see how Arrowhead Studios responds and whether the game can recover from the review bombing incident.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
Source: IGN
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