PLAYSTATION has revealed the next triple-A title from its catalogue that will be coming to PC later this year.
The announcement came at last night’s State of Play showcase, but there’s a detail that some viewers might have missed during the presentation.
The massive title is already open for pre-orders on Steam, but many fans have noticed that a recent requirement will once again stop some players from purchasing it.
God of War Ragnarök is set to launch for PC on September 19, 2024, but much like other recent ports of PlayStation-exclusive games, it will require Steam players to sign up for a free PlayStation Network account.
Right now, PSN accounts are available only in about 70 countries, which effectively makes the game unavailable to players from more than 120 other countries and territories who use Steam.
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The requirement may come as a surprise to Steam owners of 2018’s God of War game, which launched on PC in 2022 and didn’t ask for a PSN account.
Multiplayer co-op shooter Helldivers 2 was the first Sony game for PC to introduce this, but after player backlash, PlayStation backtracked on its decision.
At the time players thought Sony would not add the same requirement to future releases, but Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, which released for PC on May 16, also asks for a PSN account.
Because of that, in the lead-up to Ghost of Tsushima’s launch, many players from countries without access to PSN noticed that their pre-orders for the game were refunded.
Now, God of War Ragnarök’s store page on Steam also states that a PSN account is required for the upcoming game.
The requirement was confirmed during last night’s State of Play showcase, as eagle-eyed players have noticed at the beginning of the presentation.
A notice before the show’s start read, “Sony Interactive Entertainment games for PC require an account for PlayStation Network.”
Previously, the PSN account push was justified for multiplayer games or largely single-player titles that also include multiplayer mode like Ghost of Tsushima.
With God of War Ragnarök, a single-player game without online multiplayer elements, it is clear that the requirement for new PlayStation releases on PC is here to stay.
Sony’s hard stance about PC owners linking a PlayStation account will likely not sit well with gamers, especially those from countries where PSN is not an option.
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If you want to read about more upcoming PlayStation games, check out all announcements from May 2024’s State of Play.
