Update May 6th 8:49AM: Sony has walked back its decision to require PC players to link a PlayStation account to play Helldivers 2 on Steam.
The decision means that neither new players nor existing ones will be prompted to link their accounts, and Steam players can continue playing Helldivers 2 without PSN credentials.
Original story follows below.
Original story: Starting from early June, Helldivers 2 PC players will require a PlayStation account if they want to keep playing the game.
In an official announcement made earlier today, Arrowhead Game Studios says that the "grace period" for players to be able to play Helldivers 2 on PC without a PlayStation ID will expire at the start of next month.
From June 4th onwards, you'll need to have linked your Steam and PlayStation accounts to keep playing Helldivers 2. For new players, it's even earlier; they'll be required to link their accounts starting from May 6th.
So, the dates for Helldivers 2's PC-PlayStation integration are as follows: from May 6th, new players will need to link their Steam and PlayStation accounts. Existing players will start seeing a mandatory PlayStation login from May 30th, with this feature being fully implemented by June 4th.
Arrowhead says that linking accounts "plays a critical role in protecting our players". The studio says that having linked accounts enables them to ban players who engage in "griefing and abuse", and it also allows banned players the right to appeal their ban.
If you don't have a PlayStation account, it is free and fairly easy to create one, even if you're not a PlayStation gamer. You can create an account right here via the official PlayStation website.
If you're wondering what all the Helldivers 2 hype is about, it's a multiplayer-focused third-person shooter developed by the folks behind the original Helldivers (as well as 2011's Magicka and 2014's Gauntlet reboot).
The game sees squads of soldiers descending onto planets infested with either Terminids (bugs) or Automatons (bots) and using a variety of weapons and support abilities to take them down, all while completing a series of varied objectives.
At its peak, Helldivers 2 hit a concurrent Steam player count of over 450,000, and the game continues to attract well over 100,000 players per day (on Steam, at least; this number is likely much higher thanks to the game's PS5 player count).
You can grab Helldivers 2 right now on PC and PlayStation 5. Be sure to take a look at our review to find out whether you should join the fight, and if you already have, check out our guides on ship upgrades, weapons, and stratagems to help you better serve Super Earth.
