It’s been exactly four days since the bombastic PS5 system-seller God of War Ragnarök landed on PC… and modders are already hard at work on it. One of their first priorities? Stripping the game of its Sony software hooks, as there’s already a mod that removes the requirement for a PlayStation Network login.
A PSN login probably shouldn’t be surprising for a Sony-published game, but it’s become a contentious flashpoint since it was added as a required element to the PC version of Helldivers 2 post-release. It was eventually removed from that game, but Sony has been baking in PSN logins to every PC game released since — and gamers aren’t happy about it.
Despite a generally positive reception and good performance for a high-end title, Ragnarök currently sits at a “Mixed” review rating on Steam, with many users complaining about the mandatory PSN login.
One modder had enough, posting a simple and easy patch on NexusMods (spotted by WCCFTech) that removes the PlayStation PC SDK runtime requirement. In fact, it’s so simple that calling it a “mod” might be a bit generous — all you have to do is copy two .DLL files into the game repository. Launch the game, click “No” when it asks to connect your Steam account to PlayStation Network, and Bob’s your hairy Greek berserker god uncle.
On the one hand, I don’t think that Sony requiring an account for its PC releases is too onerous. The entire point of Sony’s PC gaming push is to get more people invested in the PlayStation platform, and it’s not as if there aren’t tons of game on Steam that demand secondary logins.
On the other hand… God of War is a single-player story-focused game, and so is the sequel. The only benefit Sony can get from a login is user data for analytics and marketing, with basically zero extra functionality delivered to gamers. They might have a point, even if a review bombing campaign is a bit of a juvenile response.
Update, September 25th, 2024: The patch mod has disappeared from NexusMods. According to a tweet from the site operators, the original uploader is the one who removed it, not the NexusMods admins. Commenters are implying that Sony had something to do with it, but at this point that’s speculation.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.