Helldivers 2 Players Beat Sony & They Shouldn’t Stop There

Malevelon Creek is nothing compared to what Helldivers 2 players have just pulled off. Following the announcement that all players (including those on PC) would require a PlayStation Network account to play the game, Arrowhead‘s passionate fanbase flocked to Steam to voice their displeasure. While thoughtless statements from Arrowhead fueled the fire, players kept up the mission. In less than 24 hours, players drove the best-selling game’s score into the ground with negative reviews. So swift and strong was their protest that Sony did the unthinkable: it reversed its decision. Helldivers 2 players beat Sony, but they shouldn’t stop there.

The Lore Behind the War

Games requiring a third-party account are nothing new, but this situation was different. For the first three months of its life, Arrowhead in essence waived the PSN requirement that Sony desired. When the announcement came that Sony would be enforcing the need for PSN accounts for Helldivers 2, players viewed the decision as a bait and switch. I’d rather stub my toe twice an hour than have to log in to a separate app for every game, but the underlying issues are much more serious.

Sony has suffered multiple, large-scale data breaches over the years, causing some players to fear for their data’s safety on PSN. For others, the problem was even more basic. PSN doesn’t exist in every country. If you purchased Helldivers 2 but couldn’t access the PlayStation Network, your money and your game were both gone. Though VPNs offered a possible workaround, they could also earn you a Steam ban, putting players in an untenable position. Combine these issues with the bungled response from Arrowhead, and players had every right to be upset.

If there’s one thing Helldivers excel at, it’s the efficient execution of their mission. Players came together to drop a wave of Steam reviews, crashing the game’s score into Mostly Negative territory. PlayStation ultimately posted on X, backpedaling from the PSN requirement. Even now, after many players have switched their reviews to positive ones in recognition of the change, the game’s overall reviews remain Mixed. The community’s response was warranted, but it’s surely a bitter pill for Arrowhead.

Helldivers 2 is all about coming together to accomplish great things (and robot genocide, oil extraction, colonization, and the satirical performance of fascism, but that’s another story). Of course the players who killed 2,000,000,000 Terminid in less than a day would convince a multi-billion dollar corporation to reconsider. Of course the players who successfully defended 10 planets on two different fronts simultaneously would dive on Steam. It’s not surprising we fought. It’s surprising we won.

Managing Democracy in Real Life

This push-back won’t stop other companies from trying similar things. It might not even stop Sony from doing the same thing when it believes the fields are ripe for reaping. That said, gamers took a stand against an awful decision and won. That’s worth celebrating. It’s also worth noting how that win happened. The dive on Steam wasn’t Managed Democracy. It was nonhierarchal community action. In a word, anarchy. Some players acted independently. Others joined their battle brethren on Discord and Reddit. All strove for the same goal and accomplished it.

We shouldn’t stop there. Rising game prices, exploitative business practices, and a glut of overpriced cosmetics are tarnishing so many games. The road from Oblivion‘s $2.50 Horse Armor DLC to Tarkov‘s proposed $250 edition has brought us here. Predatory pricing models often outweigh the justified ones, so much so that we praise exceptions like Deep Rock Galactic. Prior to the PSN controversy, Helldivers 2 was a strong example, allowing players to grind for Super Credits to buy War Bonds, eliminating FOMO and other issues.

The (temporary) triumph of Helldivers 2 players over Sony leaves room for hope. Star Citizen is beyond redemption, but most other games can be hauled back into the light. Helldivers 2 is an insignificant part of Sony’s bottom line, but it’s the lesson that matters. If our protests can stop unjust business practices here, they can do it elsewhere. Gaming is a joyous hobby. It doesn’t need to be an expensive or risky one.

To my fellow Helldivers, it was an honor to serve beside you on the Pages of Steam. Let not your ambition be satisfied with this one victory. A more just, inclusive, and cheaper future is possible, but only if we fight for it. Direct action is not a fairytale. We just did it, and we can do it again. While staring down the barrel of your EAT at a Bile Titan, remember what’s actually worth fighting for. When the moment comes, be ready to dive.

Helldivers 2 is available for PC and PlayStation 5.