Ghost of Tsushima PC Pre-Orders Are Being Automatically Refunded

Pre-orders for the upcoming PC port of Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut are being refunded in select territories due to the same PlayStation Network requirement that pissed off the Helldivers 2 community earlier this month.

On May 11, PC players from the more than 170 countries where PlayStation’s online service is not available reportedly received notices that their pre-orders for Sucker Punch’s excellent open-world samurai game had been canceled. The development affects players on platforms like Steam, GOG, and Green Man Gaming.

“Due to an issue beyond our control the multiplayer modes in Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut will no longer be available to play without linking a PSN account, and unfortunately your region is restricted from creating a PSN account,” an email from Green Man Gaming reads according to users on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Sucker Punch clarified that having a PSN account will not be required to experience its single-player offering earlier this month. However, it seems like yet another unnecessary roadblock for what should be another home run for PlayStation’s foray into the PC market.

The refunds come less than a week after Sony walked back the decision to retroactively require a PlayStation Network account to play Helldivers 2, despite already selling the game to players in countries where the new mandate would render the co-op shooter inaccessible. PlayStation initially said the requirement was about ensuring player security. Sony’s reversal was seemingly driven by Helldivers 2 players vocalizing their dismay on social media and review-bombing the beloved title on behalf of those affected by the proposal.

It’s not clear if Sucker Punch or Sony plans to rectify the issue before its May 16 launch date. Without such a tight-knit community of players behind the upcoming release, it's not likely excited Ghost Of Tsushima players can stand on a united front the same way players of 2024’s biggest game did.

PlayStation and Steam did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

For a game as single-player focused as Ghost Of Tsushima, the PSN requirement is admittedly not as big a deal as it was for Helldivers 2. Both Sucker Punch and Sony gave players a heads-up about their plans to keep the antiquated requirement as early as May 3, a noted improvement over how it rolled out the announcement for Helldivers 2. But it still bodes poorly for PlayStation as they try to lure new players into their ecosystem with a wave of PC port.

Automatic refunds risk losing early sales and positive buzz for one of the best games in Sony’s stellar first-party catalog. Shortchanging players like this can also have a lasting impact on future PC ports, something PlayStation has big plans for. It’s worth noting that Ghost Of Tsushima is still being sold at full price in territories where they’re ostensibly getting less game.

Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut is a fantastic game PC players should be excited about. But PlayStation’s inability to course correct for an issue it’s enabling seems like such an avoidable stumble out of the gate just days before this anticipated release, despite learning valuable lessons about PC gaming not even a week ago.