Stellar Blade’s much-anticipated jump to PC should have been a home run for action fans. Instead, its pre-order rollout on Steam and the Epic Games Store has left players in 129 countries locked out, bringing back not-so-fond memories of last year’s Helldivers 2 PSN account debacle. The question on everyone’s mind: are we witnessing a sequel to the same fiasco, or will developer Shift Up and publisher Sony step in before launch day?

Region Lock Raises Eyebrows Worldwide

The numbers don’t lie: pre-orders for Stellar Blade’s PC version are unavailable in a whopping 129 regions. The common denominator? These are mostly countries without official PlayStation Network (PSN) support. It’s déjà vu for anyone who remembers Sony delisting Helldivers 2 from over 170 countries due to the requirement of a PSN account. That episode ended with a dramatic reversal after a tidal wave of backlash, but this time, the details are murkier.

PSN Account Confusion: Requirement or Not?

This time around, developer Shift Up is quick to deny any mandatory PSN linking for PC players. Responding to a puzzled fan on social media, a Shift Up staffer clarified, “The PC version of Stellar Blade does not require a PSN account. May I ask where you live?”—complete with a flurry of shocked and sad emojis. This response only fueled speculation that the region lock may have come as a surprise to the developers as well, hinting at a possible disconnect between Shift Up and Sony, or perhaps a technical blunder on the store listing side.

PC Features and Denuvo DRM: The Good and the Controversial

For those who can actually access the pre-order page, Stellar Blade promises an impressive suite of PC features: unlocked frame rates, ultra-wide monitor support, and Steam Deck verification. A Complete Edition is also on offer, serving up new costumes and in-game currency for those looking to style lead character Eve beyond the base wardrobe. However, not all is rosy—Stellar Blade will launch with the controversial Denuvo anti-tamper DRM, a move that always raises eyebrows among PC purists worried about performance hits. On this front, Shift Up has tried to pour oil on troubled waters, assuring fans there will be “no performance degradation due to DRM,” even on modest hardware. Whether that promise stands up to real-world scrutiny remains to be seen.

The Road Ahead: Will Sony Blink?

With pre-orders live but region-locked for much of the globe, the Stellar Blade PC launch is off to a rocky start. The community is already raising its collective voice, and the industry is watching closely to see if Sony will once again reverse course as it did with Helldivers 2. For now, the fate of Stellar Blade’s broader PC release hangs in the balance, with regional access, PSN integration, and DRM debates all swirling around the game’s otherwise cinematic debut. Whether this saga ends in smooth sailing or another online storm, one thing’s clear: action fans aren’t letting this one slip by unnoticed.