Steam players seem to be breaking its refund policy for upset Helldivers 2 clients who are not happy with recent changes made by PlayStation. The dispute arises because PlayStation Network (PSN) online sign-in is required by PlayStation for Helldivers 2 players on PC. This has resulted in anger within the gaming community.
Steam has the refund going past the playtime duration
Claims are coming out that Steam users were able to get refunds for Helldivers 2 even though it exceeded beyond the 2-hour time limit for refunds. This leniency from Steam arises because of the backlash against PlayStation over their application of the mandatory PSN authentication for PC players. This caused in a huge change in user rating on Steam, which went from “Very Positive” to “Mostly Negative” in just a couple of days, as a result of around 148k negative reviews.
The resistance ignited when PlayStation confirmed that PC players of Helldivers 2 will have to join PlayStation Network. This policy was supposedly created to protect players and avoid griefers. But this action by PlayStation has caused furor, especially among the players living in areas where PSN is not accessible.
Global impacts and unpredictable ripple effects
Gamers from the countries where PSN service is unavailable will then be disrupted as this requirement prevents them from accessing the game. This has given birth to a wave of refund requests from players who feel let down by the time-short policy change, even if it goes against the Steam’s standard refund conditions.
Steam seems to allow exemptions from its policy in this case. While Steam generally has a policy of giving refunds only for two-hour playtime, the new release of Helldivers 2 was allowed a full refund, due to the PSN sign-in issue being the first of its kind. Some players have posted success stories on Reddit, presenting their refunds after a large number of game hours played, yet this does not vouch for all refund requests.
Mixed results and refunds strategies to Helldivers 2 players
Though a number of the users have managed to get a refund from Steam, some others have been refused the same. Strategies for obtaining refunds are different from one another and some use a help ticket instead of the standard refund system. And once again persistence seems to be the key, there are some players whom have reported success only after the second or third refund request.
The fallout of PlayStation’s mandate to require PSN sign-ins in Helldivers 2 on the PC has stirred up the gamers into a heated reaction. The fact that Steam decided to break the rules of playtime limitations and allowed refunds shows indeed the seriousness of the responses and the difficulties encountered by mandates imposed by platforms. The progression of the scenario prompts the players to come to terms with the aftermath of this controversial measure, addressing further accessibility and player autonomy concerns in the digital gaming world.
