Sony is working with Valve to restore several PlayStation-published games that suddenly disappeared from the UK Steam store, including Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition.
The games became unavailable to purchase in the UK on September 16, although players who already owned them could continue downloading and playing them from their Steam libraries. Sony has since confirmed that the disappearance was caused by an issue and said it is working with Valve to resolve it.
On its own, this looks like a storefront problem. The timing, however, makes it more interesting because it comes as Sony continues to make significant changes to how PlayStation games are sold, released and supported across console and PC.
Emmanuel Umahi
Why Did Helldivers 2 Disappear from Steam in the UK?
Players in the UK noticed that Helldivers 2 on Steam and Horizon Forbidden West were suddenly unavailable for purchase.
Sony Interactive Entertainment subsequently confirmed that the disappearance was not an announced change to its PC strategy. In a statement to VGC, a Sony spokesperson said, “We are aware of an issue affecting the availability of select titles on Steam in the UK.”
The company added, “We are working with Valve to address the issue. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Sony Interactive Entertainment acknowledged the situation, saying it was aware of an issue affecting the availability of select titles on Steam in the UK and was working with Valve to address it. The company apologised for the inconvenience but did not explain exactly what caused the games to disappear or provide a timeframe for their return.
Importantly, this did not shut down either game for existing owners. The titles remained playable through players' Steam libraries, meaning the problem was specifically related to purchasing or activating the games in the affected region.
Is Helldivers 2 Being Removed from Steam?
There is currently no indication that Sony is permanently removing Helldivers 2 from Steam.
In fact, Sony's own Helldivers 2 PlayStation page continues to list PC as one of the game's platforms and directs players to Steam.
The game's original PC release was also a deliberate part of Sony's strategy. PlayStation confirmed ahead of launch that Helldivers 2 would release simultaneously on PS5 and Steam on February 8, 2024.
That makes the UK disappearance look much more like the temporary availability problem Sony has described than a decision to pull the game from PC.
Emmanuel Umahi
Why Is Helldivers 2 So Important to Sony's PC Strategy?
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