Helldivers 2's Steam reviews are starting to rebound following Sony's decision to reverse a controversial change requiring PC players to link their Steam accounts to an active PlayStation Network one.
At the time of writing, recent reviews score as 'Mixed' while overall we're at 'Mostly Positive.' While a 'Mixed' score isn't totally ideal for developer Arrowhead or publisher Sony, the reviews are trending nicely upwards.
As you can see from a graph supplied on Helldivers 2's Steam page, the managed democracy spreader received over 145,000 negative reviews around the time it was revealed that PC players would need an active PlayStation Network account to keep playing. Following said pressure, Sony relented on the change and reviews have started to recover as a result.
- After a year of PSN controversy, balance woes, and a 63-day recovery effort, Helldivers 2 devs say "we've been on a rollercoaster, but we're also in an extremely privileged position to be on this rollercoaster"
- "We've been listening to the response" - Helldivers 2 is making amends with fans upset over crossover prices by giving away Killzone 2 items for free
"Operation clean-up is in full swing, and with the PSN requirement stopped, I can once again highly recommend this," one review now reads. Another says, "Real-life major order complete! Helldivers, we have succeeded in pushing Sony back and claiming back our game!"
The once-proposed change proved controversial, partly as you'd need an active PlayStation account to play regardless if you had a console or not, but also as PSN and Steam aren't totally aligned in what region they're available in – as such, Helldivers 2 faced being pulled from Steam in in over 170 countries.
It was a move that appeared divisive at developer Arrowhead before it was overturned, with several comments from developers remaining fans that the decision was Sony's and not theirs. When that decision was overturned, CEO Johan Pilstedt said he was "impressed by the willpower of the community" after Sony overturned the decision.
While Helldivers 2 has had a difficult week, the co-op shooter's Steam review score offers hope that no bridge has been too badly burnt. Now, then, we can turn to the current Helldivers 2 Major Order.
