Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West are currently unavailable to buy on Steam in the UK. Sony calls it an availability issue and says it is working with Valve, while existing owners can still play.
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Sony’s PC listings hit a UK wall without warning
Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West have been removed from sale on Steam for UK users, leaving both Sony Interactive Entertainment-published PC games unavailable to purchase through Valve’s storefront while still playable for people who already own them. That is the hard fact at the center of a messy listing issue that landed without an announcement, a warning on the store pages, or any public explanation before players noticed the change.
Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, VGC, and DayOne all report the same core storefront behavior: when UK users open the Steam listings for Helldivers 2 or Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition, Steam returns the message, “An error was encountered while processing your request: This item is currently unavailable in your region.” VGC reports that the delisting has made the games unavailable for purchase, while existing owners can still launch them from their libraries.
For Helldivers 2 players, that distinction is critical. This is not a reported server shutdown, a library removal, or a block on existing squads deploying from Steam in the UK. Based on the reporting available, the current damage is at the store and purchase layer. If the game is already in your Steam library, you should still be able to boot it. If it is not, Steam is currently treating it as unavailable in the region.
Sony says this is an issue, not a planned UK withdrawal
Sony’s public response points away from a deliberate UK pullback. In a statement given to VGC and quoted by multiple outlets, a Sony spokesperson said, “We are aware of an issue affecting the availability of select titles on Steam in the UK. We are working with Valve to address the issue. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
That wording matters because it is the only confirmed publisher explanation in the source material. Sony has not announced a policy change for Helldivers 2 Steam UK availability, has not said Horizon Forbidden West is being intentionally removed from UK Steam, and has not provided a timetable for restoration. The company’s statement frames this as an availability problem being handled with Valve.
The open question is how a regional purchase block appeared on two major PlayStation PC releases in the first place. Sony has not said whether the issue came from its side, Valve’s backend, a package configuration change, compliance tooling, or a mistaken regional flag. Until Sony or Valve gives more detail, the safest reading is narrow: Sony acknowledges a problem affecting select UK Steam titles and says it is working with Valve to fix it.
How UK Steam players are affected right now
The current impact splits cleanly between owners and would-be buyers. According to Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, VGC, and DayOne, UK Steam users who already own Helldivers 2 or Horizon Forbidden West can still play them from their libraries. DayOne also reports that owners can still install the games.
Players who do not own them are the ones blocked. Rock Paper Shotgun reports that anyone in the UK who does not own these games on Steam currently cannot buy them or any unowned DLC. That is the key buyer-facing risk, especially for Helldivers 2, where live-service players often move in and out around updates, friends joining late, and add-on purchases.
The same store behavior also makes normal price-checking harder. If you are in the UK and Steam shows the regional unavailability message, you cannot treat a wishlist entry, search result, or third-party price mention as proof that the game is purchasable on your account. Until the listing is restored, the store page itself is the decisive signal.
SteamDB changes point to a regional purchase block
The clearest backend clue comes from SteamDB history spotted by Reddit users and cited by Rock Paper Shotgun and DayOne. Those reports say Great Britain, the Isle of Man, and United Kingdom were added to the list of countries or regions barred from purchasing Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West. Rock Paper Shotgun reports that the changes took place on September 16.
That does not prove intent. SteamDB can show package and regional availability changes, but it does not explain who made a change, why it was made, or whether it was automated, accidental, or part of a wider adjustment. Sony’s statement to VGC is the stronger source for intent, and Sony is calling it an issue.
The geography is also odd. The affected territories reported in the source material are Great Britain, the Isle of Man, and United Kingdom. This is not described by the sources as a worldwide Steam delisting, and it is not reported as a removal from PlayStation platforms. VGC notes Helldivers 2 remains accessible on PS5 through the PlayStation Plus games catalog for subscribers, and it also says the shooter released on PS5 and PC in 2024 before later coming to Xbox Series X and S.
The PSN context explains the nerves, but not the UK block
The reason players immediately read more into this is Sony’s recent PC history. Rock Paper Shotgun points to Sony’s practice of restricting some published PC games in countries where PlayStation Network service does not operate, especially where PSN account use or linking is involved. The same outlet cites Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls as a recent PlayStation-backed example of regional purchase restrictions, and it identifies Helldivers 2 as the flashpoint for the 2024 PC backlash that led to Sony dropping a PSN account-linking requirement for Steam players.
That history makes the community reaction understandable, but it does not cleanly explain this case. Rock Paper Shotgun specifically notes that PSN operates in the UK, so the usual PSN-availability rationale does not fit the reported UK restriction. If this were a deliberate PSN-region enforcement move, the UK would be a strange target based on that context.
Eurogamer adds another layer of suspicion by pointing to wider discussion around PlayStation’s PC strategy, including comments it reports from PlayStation executive Hermen Hulst that the company’s narrative single-player games will now be exclusive to PS5 going forward. Horizon Forbidden West is a narrative-led PlayStation release already on PC, while Helldivers 2 is an online co-op shooter with a different business profile. Sony has not connected either strategy discussion to this Steam issue, so that remains context rather than evidence.
What buyers should check before spending money
If you are in the UK and planning to buy either game on PC, check the Steam store page while logged into the account you intend to use. If Steam shows “This item is currently unavailable in your region,” treat the game as unavailable for purchase on that account until Sony and Valve resolve it. Do the same for any DLC you do not already own, because Rock Paper Shotgun reports unowned DLC is also currently blocked for UK buyers.
If you already own Helldivers 2 or Horizon Forbidden West on Steam, the reporting so far is better news: VGC, Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, and DayOne all say existing owners can still play, and DayOne says owners can still install. If your concern is joining friends, the risk is on the friend who has not bought in yet. A full squad is only as ready as its newest recruit’s storefront access.
Be careful with external storefronts or keys while the Steam page is region-blocked. The provided reports confirm the Steam purchase problem, but they do not confirm that third-party Steam keys will activate for affected UK accounts during the issue. Before buying outside Steam, verify regional activation terms with the seller and remember that Sony’s statement only says it is working with Valve to address Steam availability.
For now, the practical move is simple: owners can keep playing, non-owners should wait for the Steam listing to return unless they are choosing another confirmed platform. Sony says a fix is being worked on, but no outlet in the source material reports a restoration time.