Reasons why Steam, Epic Games, and other publishers are canceling pre-orders for this game in 170 countries

PC game library platforms like Steam, Epic, and Green Man Gaming are causing a stir among gamers as they reportedly cancel and refund pre-orders of the highly anticipated PC port of Ghost of Tsushima for buyers in over 170 countries who do not have access to the PlayStation Network (PSN).

The developer of Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch, had previously confirmed that Steam players would not need to sign up for PSN if they only wanted to play the single-player campaign of the Director’s Cut on Steam. However, it seems that players in certain regions are now facing issues with their pre-orders being cancelled without any official announcement from Sony, Steam, or Sucker Punch.

According to a report by Eurogamer, digital storefronts like Steam and Green Man Gaming have either chosen or been instructed to automatically refund pre-orders from players in territories where signing up for PSN is not legally possible. This has led to frustration among PC players who were eagerly awaiting the release of the PC port of Ghost of Tsushima.

Players who pre-ordered the game on Steam received a message stating, “You are receiving a refund for a game you pre-purchased – Ghost of Tsushima. The publisher of this game is now requiring a secondary account to play portions of this game – and this account cannot be created from your country.”

This issue is not isolated to Ghost of Tsushima, as last week Sony faced backlash for planning to remove another title, Helldivers 2, from sale in 177 countries due to mandatory PSN linking. After receiving criticism, Sony reversed its decision regarding Helldivers 2, but the fate of Ghost of Tsushima on PC remains uncertain for players in certain regions.