What the heck is going on with Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2, a popular third-person co-op shooter developed by Arrowhead and published by Sony, faced a backlash due to a sudden imposition of PlayStation Network (PSN) account linking for PC players. Initially optional due to launch issues, this requirement led to the game's removal from Steam in 177 countries and a flood of negative reviews. Sony eventually retracted the decision, allowing the game to be accessible without PSN links, but not before it sparked significant community unrest and discussions about Sony's PC strategy and cross-platform integration.