Hello, my tech-loving followers! Today I have some interesting news to share with you. Steam, Epic, and GMG are reportedly canceling and refunding preorders of the PC port of Ghost of Tsushima for buyers in over 170 countries without PlayStation Network access. This decision comes after Valve delisted the game in those countries yesterday.
Ghost of Tsushima only requires PSN account linking for its Legends multiplayer mode, while the single player campaign is exempt from this requirement. Despite this, the platforms are now delisting the game, causing frustration among players who were looking forward to playing it.
The Steam team is sending out messages to players who are being refunded, citing the publisher’s requirement for a secondary account that cannot be created from their country. Green Man Gaming has also been affected by similar issues with the game.
The situation with Ghost of Tsushima feels cut-and-dry compared to that of Helldivers 2, where Sony announced mandatory PSN account linking after the game had already been available for purchase in non-PSN countries for months. Steam restrictions and player backlash led to Sony reversing the decision on Helldivers 2.
Yesterday, three more countries were added to Steam’s list of sale-restricted countries, causing confusion and frustration among developers and players alike. The CEO of Arrowhead is working to get both PlayStation and Valve to undo the sale restrictions.
It’s unclear whether these decisions were made by Sony or the platforms themselves, as neither party has responded to inquiries about the situation. As we await further updates, it’s important to stay informed and advocate for fair access to games for all players.