Sony has quietly removed region-based restrictions on several of its popular PC titles available via Steam, making them accessible once again in 177 countries that previously faced purchase limitations. While the company hasn’t issued a formal announcement, games like God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and the popular co-op shooter Helldivers 2 are now purchasable in multiple new regions, according to recent database updates.
This move follows backlash from an earlier decision where Sony mandated that Helldivers 2 players link their Steam accounts to the PlayStation Network (PSN). Since PSN wasn’t available in many countries, the game was pulled from sale in those regions, leading to strong criticism from the global gaming community. In response, Sony reversed the PSN requirement and began reinstating access to the game. This shift in policy was later extended to other titles, including Spider-Man 2.
The recent PC launch of Stellar Blade on June 11 brought the issue back into the spotlight. Originally set to include a mandatory PSN login, the game’s developer, Shift Up, successfully worked with Sony to make the login optional. This led to a massive launch, with the game attracting nearly 200,000 concurrent players in its debut week further proof that restrictive login policies can limit a game’s reach.
As of now, players worldwide can enjoy both Helldivers 2 and Stellar Blade without needing a PSN account. However, some Sony-published titles like Ghost of Tsushima and Until Dawn remain unavailable in certain countries, suggesting that not all games have been freed from regional or platform-related limitations.
This development is a win for global PC gamers, especially those in countries where access to Sony’s online services has been limited. It also signals a possible shift in how major publishers view region-locking in an increasingly connected digital gaming world.
Source: Engadget
