Thanks to an outcry from Helldivers 2’s dedicated community, the game won’t require PC players to have PSN accounts. This is a major win for everyone affected, but it comes at a heavy cost for Arrowhead’s community manager, Spitz.
A post by Helldivers 2 Media on May 8 revealed Spitz is no longer a community manager for Helldivers 2. Spitz wrote: “I appreciate all the support and I appreciate even more that everyone can play the game again without restrictions. I knew I was taking a risk with what I said about refunding and changing reviews. I stand by it,” adding that it was his job to represent the players, and that’s what he did.
Spitz played a crucial role in turning things around after Sony announced PSN accounts would be mandatory to play Helldivers 2. Players revolted against the decision because PSN isn’t accessible in every country, which meant Helldivers 2 became inaccessible for many players who already purchased it. Sony claimed the change was meant to provide extra account safety, but PSN had a data breach in 2023 that led to players’ data being stolen, so players are questioning why mandatory PSN account linking would make us any safer.
Amid the frustration, Helldivers 2 community manager Spitz encouraged players on Discord to change their Steam reviews to negative and request refunds. He told players to make their displeasure known in a place that makes a difference. Helldivers 2’s Steam reviews plummeted to Overwhelmingly Negative in just a day, which prompted Sony to reverse its decision.
Initially, players thought Spitz managed to dodge a bullet and was keeping his position as a community manager, but that’s unfortunately not the case. Although the way he expressed his opinions frustrated part of the Helldivers 2 community, Sony’s reversal likely couldn’t have happened without him.
