GamesActionGhost of TsushimaGhost of Tsushima’s crossplay function will launch with a ‘beta’ tag attached, prompting speculation that Sony is hoping to avoid another PSN-related fiascoWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesActionGhost of TsushimaGhost of Tsushima’s crossplay function will launch with a ‘beta’ tag attached, prompting speculation that Sony is hoping to avoid another PSN-related fiascoWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Sony)

A silhouetted figure plays a flute against a setting sun backdrop.

When Ghost of Tsushima launches on PC tomorrow, you won’t need a PlayStation Network account to play the game in singleplayer. But you will need one if you want to play Legends, the game’s online, crossplay-inclusive multiplayer mode. There is now a question as to whether you will need one permanently, however, as port developer Nixxes has revealed the mode will launch with a ‘beta’ label attached.

It’s an interesting change considering the recent furore over Sony’s attempt toreinstate Helldivers 2’s PC/PSN integration, which it waived at launch as developer Arrowhead focussed on fortifying its servers to keep up with the game’s enormously popular launch. Sony’s abrupt decision to reinstate the requirement triggered ahuge backlashthat saw Helldivers 2 review-bombed on Steam, with the publisher ultimately walking the policy backa second time.

In the meantime, the debacle caught the attention of Tsushima’s developer Sucker Punch, whorushed to clarifythat PSN accounts were only required for multiplayer, not singleplayer, though this didn’t stop Sony from delisting the game in over 200 countries where PSN is not available.

With all this swirling in the background like a cloud of Sakura blossom, the timing of the ‘beta’ tag addition is intriguing. It could just be that the crossplay functionality isn’t entirely stable and requires more work, although Nixxes would almost certainly have known this well before now. An alternate possibility is that Nixxes wants to reassure PC players that the current status of the crossplay mode is only temporary, perhaps with a mind to removing that PSN requirement in the future.

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During the Helldivers 2 fiasco, Sony stated it is “still learning what is best for PC players”, and its variable inclusion of PlayStation features in its PC games is clear evidence of that. So it’s entirely possible there’s a shifting of policy going on behind the scenes. Either way, we’ll have a better idea of what the crossplay ‘beta’ label means when Ghost of Tsushima hits PC tomorrow.

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