Stellar Blade was set to escape console exclusivity with a bang, but now, it’s blocked in 129 countries.
The slick sci-fi action-RPG has enjoyed a glow-up since launch. Critics praised its fast-paced combat and jaw-dropping visuals. On May 15, developer Shift Up announced a PC port will release on June 11.
It should have been a win for everyone. Instead, shortly after the update announcement, PC players from 129 countries suddenly couldn’t access the game’s store page.
Stellar Blade’s PC launch is out of reach for players in these 129 countries
When several players who live in certain countries tried to open the Steam Store’s page for Stellar Blade to pre-order the game, they were met with an error that read, “This item is not available in your region.”
The block included countries with no active PlayStation Network support, like Egypt, Iraq, and Venezuela.
Shift Up apparently didn’t see this coming either.
One heartbroken fan posted, “Are you kidding me? I’ve been waiting for you for a year… and now it’s banned in my country because there is no PSN. What is this nonsense?”
Stellar Blade’s support team tried to help. “The PC version… does not require a PSN account. May I ask where you live?”
Players weren’t having it. “Seriously Sony? Seriously?” became a chorus. The frustration makes sense. Sony recently tried forcing PSN logins for Helldivers 2 on PC until backlash made them backpedal fast.
Here’s a full list of every country that can’t access Stellar Blade on PC:
While fans fear Stellar Blade may be caught in the same trap, neither Sony or Shift Up have made an official announcement to clear up the situation yet.
For now, Stellar Blade’s PC launch has hit a wall. Shift Up still plans to break it down before the June release. Let’s hope they do, because at this point, the only thing more dangerous than Stellar Blade’s enemies… is its distribution strategy.
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