Stellar Blade's Steam Rollout Mysteriously Blocked in Over 100 Countries

Stellar Blade's Steam rollout has been mysteriously blocked successful countries similar Egypt, Vietnam, Estonia, and Cuba.

While there's been nary ceremonial connection connected wherefore income person been blocked successful implicit 100 countries astir the world, it's thought the database broadly matches that of places wherever PlayStation Network is not available.

But here's the confusing thing: Stellar Blade doesn't necessitate players to motion up to PSN to play, which has near players wondering wherefore connected world income person been restricted.

It's imaginable the artifact comes not due to the fact that Stellar Blade requires a PSN connection, but due to the fact that it offers an optional one. Though not confirmed by either developer ShiftUp oregon Sony itself conscionable yet, immoderate are speculating that it whitethorn beryllium due to the fact that players are invited to motion up via their PSN relationship to unafraid an optional tegument for Eve.

The crippled isn't disposable successful ~130 countries connected Steam and Epic Games Store. pic.twitter.com/D79a3HrUut

More interestingly still, it seems ShiftUp itself has been amazed by the restrictions. While the squad has responded to respective unhappy tweets connected X/Twitter, asking the complainants wherever they live, they've yet to supply immoderate further accusation astir wherefore the crippled is blocked successful definite countries.

Despite offering millions of fans the accidental to bask experiences that were different locked down console exclusivity, Sony has fumbled its rollout connected PC, with galore players blasting the institution for its mandatory PSN transportation requirement. It meant that players needed to person an relationship and nexus it successful bid to bask their chosen crippled astatine all, adjacent if the rubric was a single-player crippled similar God of War oregon The Last of Us. The request led to backlash from PC players successful territories wherever PSN is unavailable.

The play archetypal deed the Helldivers 2 assemblage successful May past year, erstwhile PlayStation announced that Steam users would request to link a PlayStation Network relationship to play. The company, however, rapidly took backmost that determination arsenic it reversed people conscionable a fewer days later.

This has since been further compounded, however, by the information PSN is not disposable successful immoderate countries, which resulted successful Helldivers 2 being delisted successful astir 177 countries astatine the time. Most recently, successful January 2025, Sony stated it would nary longer necessitate players to nexus a PlayStation Network relationship to bask immoderate of its PC games, and alternatively offered bonuses for those who do.

The PC mentation of Stellar Blade launches via Steam connected June 11 on with a raft of PC-specific features, including AI upscaling via Nvidia DLSS 4 and AMD FSR 3, an unlocked framerate, Japanese and Chinese voiceover, ultrawide show support, higher solution situation textures, and DualSense enactment for haptic feedback and trigger effects.

IGN's Stellar Blade reappraisal returned a 7/10. We said: "Stellar Blade is large successful each of the astir important ways for an enactment game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and respective frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics forestall it from soaring on with the champion of the genre."

Vikki Blake is simply a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.