Helldivers 2 PSN fiasco forces Ghost of Tsushima dev to clarify its PC account linking plans

Ghost of Tsushima
(Image credit: Sucker Punch)

Helldivers 2 has reversed course on its PSN account requirements, but not before a backlash so loud that it spread to other PlayStation-published PC games. Now, Sucker Punch has confirmed its exact plans for PSN requirements in Ghost of Tsushima's PC port.

In response to one PC player who said they'd canceled their pre-order for Ghost of Tsushima on Steam in protest of the account requirements in Helldivers 2, Sucker Punch responded, "Thank you for your feedback. Just so you are aware, A PSN account is required for Legends online multiplayer mode and to use PlayStation overlay. It is not required to play the singleplayer game."

Ghost of Tsushima is slated to be the first Sony-published PC game to offer access to PSN features like trophies and your friends list on the platform. Those are nice bonuses for players already in the PlayStation ecosystem, but PC players have historically been reluctant to accept any forced account sign-up that does not come straight from Gabe Newell. Sony's likely hoping its big push into PC gaming will help it gather even more PSN users, but it's good to see those requirements dropped for people who are only interested in single-player - and to see the specifics communicated clearly before launch.

The Steam rating for Helldivers 2 took a nosedive as the devs at Arrowhead encouraged players to make their disapproval known to Sony. The response got prolific enough that Steam even began altering its refund policy to let players return the game after logging over 100 hours.

Looking for info on everything in the Helldivers 2 Polar Patriots Warbond? You know where to click. 

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.