Sony Interactive Entertainment has abandoned its requirement for PC players of Helldivers 2 to link to a PlayStation account following community backlash.

The decision to reverse the account linking requirement comes after negative feedback, including Steam review-bombing and refund requests.

Sony's original account linking policy was intended to prevent griefing and abuse, but was met with significant resistance from the gaming community.

After the policy announcement, Helldivers 2 was removed from sale in regions without PlayStation account support, and it remains unclear whether it will be made available for sale again.

The game supports optional PlayStation account linking for crossplay with PS5, amid speculation of a forthcoming Xbox version.

Sony's retraction of the policy is celebrated by both the community and the developers, yet the company still grapples with trust issues among PC gamers.

With the upcoming PC release of Ghosts of Tsushima, Sony must navigate carefully to prevent further backlash and to mend its relationship with the PC gaming community.