God of War Ragnarok made its long-awaited debut on PC earlier this month, but the transition hasn't been entirely smooth. While fans are thrilled with the game itself, they're far less pleased with Sony's requirement that PC users must connect to PlayStation Network to play. This mandate has already led to a review-bombing of Ragnarok on Steam by disgruntled gamers. In response, a modder has stepped in to offer a solution.
As reported by IGN, a modder known as iArtorias has released the NoPSSDK mod, which effectively bypasses the PSN linking restriction and allows God of War Ragnarok to be played offline. iArtorias also left a note on their Nexus Mods page, promising to "try to maintain the tool even if something changes, but hopefully nothing crucial happens." Given Sony's steadfast refusal to reconsider this requirement, it's almost certain that the company will take steps to counter iArtorias' mod and any similar efforts.
It remains unclear why Sony implemented this restriction in the first place, especially since Ragnarok is a single-player game. PSN integration makes sense for multiplayer titles that require an online connection, but there's no apparent reason for Ragnarok to be subject to the same constraints. Sony has shown some flexibility in the past, such as when it dropped the PSN requirement for Helldivers 2 following public backlash. However, the upcoming remake of Until Dawn will also enforce a mandatory PSN connection. This issue could continue to frustrate gamers if Sony persists in adding the PSN requirement to future PC releases.
