restrictions Archives

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

Sony Rolling Back Controversial First-Party Games Policy

Sony is reportedly lifting regional restrictions on its first-party PC games available on Steam, which previously required a PlayStation Network (PSN) account, limiting access for gamers in over 100 countries. Titles affected include God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. The recent release of Days Gone Remastered, which did not impose regional restrictions, suggests a broader policy shift. The PSN requirement has faced backlash, notably during the launch of Helldivers 2, leading to controversy and the dismissal of the game’s community manager. Additionally, the title Stellar Blade was initially unavailable in 132 countries due to the PSN requirement, but this restriction was lifted after discussions with Sony. An official statement from Sony regarding the removal of the PSN requirement has yet to be issued.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Russian Lawmakers Authorize Creation Of National Messaging Service

Russian lawmakers passed legislation on June 10 to establish a national instant messaging service, envisioned as a multifunctional information exchange service similar to WhatsApp. The service aims to facilitate bureaucratic and legal functions, including electronic document signing. VK, a Kremlin-aligned social media platform, is reportedly developing a new digital platform named Max, which will include chat, messaging, and payment services. The Russian government has previously launched the Gosuslugi e-government service portal, which serves around 100 million citizens and is being integrated with VK. President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for the new messaging service, instructing officials to transition services from government agencies to the platform.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Sony Lifts Region Locks on Its PC Games, Including Helldivers 2, The Last of Us, More

Sony has lifted restrictions on its PC game catalogue on Steam, allowing a wider audience to access titles like God of War Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered without needing a PlayStation Network (PSN) account. However, some games, including Helldivers 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and Until Dawn, still require a PSN link for gameplay.

AppWizard

June 15, 2025

Sony unlocks regional restrictions for some PC games in more than 100 countries

Sony has removed regional restrictions on several popular PC titles available on Steam, allowing players in 177 countries to access games like God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. This change follows a backlash against a previous requirement for players to link their Steam accounts to the PlayStation Network (PSN), which barred access in regions without PSN. The PSN requirement has since been lifted for other titles, and the optional PSN login for Stellar Blade led to a successful launch with nearly 200,000 players in its first week. However, some titles, such as Ghost of Tsushima and Until Dawn, still have regional restrictions.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Sony quietly removes PC sale restrictions in dozens of countries for four huge PlayStation games

Sony has eased regional restrictions on several popular PC games, including God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2, as of June 13. The changes were noted on SteamDB, showing a reduction in the number of countries where these games are unavailable, with only the Russian Federation added to the list of restricted sales. This decision follows a backlash from a previous incident involving Helldivers 2, which was removed from sale in 177 countries due to a PSN requirement. Additionally, Sony's president, Hideaki Nishino, mentioned that the company is considering adjustments to the pricing of its PlayStation Plus service to maximize profitability through a dynamic pricing strategy.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Meta’s Threads app to test direct messaging in some countries

Meta Platforms is rolling out direct messaging on its Threads app, starting in select markets like Hong Kong and Thailand, to boost user engagement. The feature will not be encrypted initially. Threads, launched in 2023, has over 350 million monthly active users but is not expected to significantly drive revenue growth by 2025. eMarketer projects a 17.5 percent increase in U.S. monthly active users for Threads, reaching 60.5 million, while X is expected to decline by 14.4 percent to about 50 million users.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

PlayStation Appears To Be Removing Region Restrictions For Its Games On PC

PlayStation is porting its first-party, console-exclusive games to PC, aiming to expand access to these titles. However, the strategy has faced challenges due to the requirement of linking Steam accounts with PlayStation Network accounts, which has restricted access to certain games in over 100 countries without PSN availability. The release of Helldivers 2 highlighted these accessibility issues, but recent reports indicate that PlayStation is lifting regional restrictions for several titles, including God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. The launch of Days Gone Remastered without regional locks suggests a shift towards a more inclusive approach, potentially ending the era of regional limitations for PlayStation games on PC.

AppWizard

June 13, 2025

I’m glad Sony PlayStation finally got rid of PC game region locks

Sony has begun to reverse its policy of region-locking PC games, allowing titles such as Helldivers 2, God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to be purchased in previously restricted regions. This change follows backlash against the region locks implemented over a year ago, which had led to negative reactions from players. While many restrictions have been lifted, seven countries—Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam—remain blacklisted.

AppWizard

June 13, 2025

Sony removes regional restrictions on four of its biggest games on Steam

Sony has lifted regional restrictions on four major games on Steam, allowing players in various countries to access them freely. The games affected are God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. Initially, Helldivers 2 required a PlayStation Network (PSN) sign-in, leading to its removal from sale in 177 countries without PSN access. In contrast, the upcoming Spider-Man 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, along with God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, will not require a PSN account, although regional restrictions still apply in countries without PSN services. PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst emphasized the importance of a careful approach to releasing PlayStation games on other platforms and the significance of single-player titles for showcasing console performance.

AppWizard

June 13, 2025

Sony Removes PC Region Locks for Major PlayStation Games on Steam

Sony has lifted regional restrictions on its popular PlayStation titles for PC, allowing access to games like God of War Ragnarök, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and Helldivers 2 in many new countries. This change follows the successful launch of Stellar Blade on Steam, which achieved over 183,000 concurrent players. Previously, Sony had region locks that restricted access to significant portions of Africa, Asia, and South America. Some regions, including Russia and Syria, remain restricted.