Steam Delists Ghost of Tsushima in 100+ Countries

Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima is set to debut on PC later this week, but it has encountered a hiccup in its release strategy. The game has been pulled from sale on Steam and other PC platforms in over 100 countries and regions not covered by Sony’s PlayStation Network. This decision echoes similar regional delisting challenges faced by Helldivers 2, which is also inaccessible in these areas.

Historically, Sony’s PC adaptations like God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn were single-player experiences without a mandatory sign-in to Sony’s online service. However, Sony’s recent move to require a sign-in for Helldivers 2 sparked backlash, leading to a reversal of this decision.

It appears that Sony underestimated Steam’s accessibility compared to PSN, potentially locking out users in non-PSN regions from accessing games they’ve purchased. Even after retracting the sign-in requirement, Helldivers 2 remains unavailable in over 170 countries. Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt is advocating for a change, but the restrictions persist.

On the flip side, Ghost of Tsushima primarily shines for its narrative-focused single-player campaign, which won’t mandate PSN logins. However, its multiplayer addition, Legends, has prompted its delisting in regions without PSN availability. Notably, Ghost of Tsushima will be the first Sony PC game to integrate the new PlayStation overlay, offering players access to PSN features like friends and trophies.

SteamDB reveals similar purchasing limitations for Ghost of Tsushima as for Helldivers 2, despite the game’s imminent PC launch. This underscores Sony’s push to streamline the PlayStation and PC gaming experiences, prioritizing integration over potential sales in regions where PlayStation traditionally hasn’t had a strong foothold.