Steam, Epic Games Store, and Green Man Gaming are currently issuing refunds and cancelling pre-orders for the PC version of Ghost of Tsushima in over 170 countries lacking PlayStation Network (PSN) access, as reported by Eurogamer. This decision follows the sudden removal of the game from these platforms in the affected regions yesterday. Despite this, the core single-player experience of Ghost of Tsushima does not require a PSN account, contrasting with the game's multiplayer Legends mode, which does.
Refunds and delistings explained
The developers of Ghost of Tsushima have clarified that only the Legends multiplayer mode necessitates PSN account linking. Both Steam and Green Man Gaming, along with the Epic Games Store, had previously noted this in their disclaimers, suggesting that the single-player game should remain playable regardless of PSN account availability. However, the reality has turned out differently, with the platforms opting to delist the game entirely in these regions.
Steam has begun notifying affected players with the following message: “You are receiving a refund for a game you pre-purchased, Ghost of Tsushima. The publisher of this game is now requiring a secondary account to play portions of this game, and this account cannot be created from your country.”
Comparative issues and community reactions
This incident mirrors a similar situation earlier this month involving Helldivers 2. Sony, the publisher, had implemented a new requirement for PSN account linking after the game had been available for nearly three months in non-PSN countries. This led to immediate restrictions on the game's sale in these areas by Steam, sparking significant community backlash, including a review-bombing campaign that dramatically lowered the game's ratings from “overwhelmingly positive” to “overwhelmingly negative.”
Recently, further complications arose as Steam added Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to its list of countries where sales are restricted. Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead and the developer of Helldivers 2, expressed his surprise at this decision on Discord, stating he was not informed prior to the community's discovery.
Pilestedt has been vocal about attempting to persuade both PlayStation and Valve to lift these sale restrictions. Although it appears that Sony's policies might be influencing these decisions, the lack of responses from Sony and Valve to inquiries leaves the situation unclear, leaving open the possibility that the platforms themselves might be choosing to delist Sony's games independently.
This ongoing saga highlights the complexities and frustrations faced by players and developers alike in regions without full access to gaming platforms' services, illustrating the broader challenges of global game distribution.
