While Steam has not confirmed this publicly, Reddit user HellDuke says that it was mentioned in a message from Steam Support. Here, Steam says that Helldivers 2 being restricted in countries without PSN access was "decided by the publisher", not the storefront. If this message is legitimate, it confirms what many in the community suspected, as Steam and developer Arrowhead are caught in the middle of the controversy.
To all people saying "It was steam's decision to restrict region purchases"
byu/dukogpom inHelldivers
Reddit user HellDuke says that the screenshot comes from their conversation with Steam Support. It was then quickly shared around the Helldivers 2 community, as many take this as proof that Sony forced Steam's hand in the removal of the game from storefronts in certain countries.
This drama started when it was revealed that a future update to Helldivers 2 would make it mandatory for PC players to have a PSN account. However, there are many countries without PSN access, leaving players wondering if the game would become inaccessible to them after this update. In response, the game was delisted in more than 150 regions, and refunds were given out regardless of playtime.
Following pushback from fans - including a whole lot of review bombing - Sony reversed the decision. However, it was noted yesterday that Helldivers 2 is now restricted in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. It's unclear when Helldivers 2 will once again be available in all countries.
Despite the move being reversed for Helldivers 2, Sony is going ahead with PSN requirements in the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut. This will only be mandatory in the multiplayer mode, but the restriction is enough to get the game delisted in areas that don't have PSN. Players in these regions are receiving automatic refunds.
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Related Forum: PlayStation Forum
Source: https://www.thegamer.com/helldivers-2-delisted-countries-sonys-decision-steam-psn/
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