Helldivers 2 director still talking to PlayStation and Valve about relisting the shooter "everywhere" after PSN mandate saw the game pulled in over 170 countries
The spread of managed democracy takes time
Helldivers 2's game director and studio head is still working to get the shooter back on storefronts of countries it was delisted from last week.
In the wake of announcing that all Helldivers 2 players on PC would need to link to an active PSN account last week, Arrowhead's shooter was summarily delisted from 170 countries around the world that didn't have access to Sony's PSN. The stipulation might have been walked back, but Helldivers 2 still remains delisted in countries without PSN access.
Game director and Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt is still working to get Helldivers 2 back on storefronts, though. In a message in the game's official Discord, Pilestedt reveals there isn't any news right now about the delistings being turned around, but he's "speaking to our partners at PlayStation and Valve and pushing for it to be undone." Pilestedt adds that he "won't rest in my desire to have it available everywhere."
The fallout from the situation surrounding the mandatory PSN account is still an ongoing issue for Arrowhead. The studio's community manager was seemingly fired earlier this week for requesting players review-bomb Helldivers 2 in order to send a message about the mandatory PSN account linking. "I knew I was taking a risk with what I said," the developer wrote in a message to players.
Right now, there definitely isn't a schedule for getting Helldivers 2 back on the delisted storefronts around the world, given Pilestedt's statement, although it's a relief the director is actively working on it. Considering Valve broke its own Steam refunding rule to issue refunds for aggrieved players last week, maybe that's a positive sign for engagement with Arrowhead.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.