PlayStation Blocks Marvel Tokon on Steam in 132 Countries After Past Errors

PlayStation appears to be repeating a mistake it should have ironed out after its earliest Helldivers 2 problems, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is the newest PC release running into trouble. The issue: access to buy the game on Steam is being restricted by PlayStation Network requirements.

Helldivers 2 has since been treated as one of PlayStation’s biggest live-service wins, even if the player community has pushed back whenever another patch shakes things up. Still, getting the game to a stable state came with a major hurdle—PC players ultimately had to deal with PSN requirements, and the reaction was swift.

That PSN push didn’t just create backlash; it also coincided with the game’s Steam rating dropping to “Overwhelmingly Negative” for the first time. On top of that, more than 170 countries were blocked from purchasing the title because they lacked access to the service—an outcome that doesn’t seem to have changed how PlayStation handles regional restrictions. Now, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is facing a similar situation.

132 Countries Can’t Purchase Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls On PC Due To PSN Requirements

As If We Needed More Proof That Mandatory PSN Is A Bad Idea

• Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is listed on SteamDB with a note that it isn’t available for purchase in 132 countries.
• The restriction is described as a smaller figure than Helldivers 2’s original impact of 177 countries.
• SteamDB listings suggest the requirement is tied to needing a PlayStation Network account to buy the game.
• Players in regions without PSN would effectively be locked out of purchasing the title on Steam.
• Examples of countries without PSN mentioned include Afghanistan, Barbados, Cambodia, Jamaica, and the Philippines.

A user on ResetEra, Chairmanchuck, pointed to Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ SteamDB entry to highlight the scope of the restriction. The Steam listing for the game’s different editions carries a notice stating it’s “Not in 132 countries,” which is a reduction compared to Helldivers 2’s earlier figure of 177 affected territories.

There are plenty of reasons people are already paying close attention to Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, especially because it’s positioned as the most anticipated fighting game in years. For a genre that thrives on broad accessibility, the regional lockout is the part that stands out immediately.

SteamDB doesn’t spell out the exact cause in its text, but the logic matches what players ran into with Helldivers 2 and other PlayStation-published titles on Steam. If the game requires a PlayStation Network account, then any country without PSN access can’t legally purchase it, which in practice means the game becomes unplayable for those regions.

The countries cited as not having PSN include Afghanistan, Barbados, Cambodia, Jamaica, and the Philippines—just a handful of examples from the broader list. It’s a reminder that PSN isn’t treated as an optional account for these releases; instead, it’s being treated as a gateway that determines whether the store purchase is even available.

PlayStation did back off for some single-player releases after the backlash grew loud, removing the PSN requirement in several cases. However, the policy appears to remain intact for online-first games. That’s the same justification used for Helldivers 2, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls—despite having a single-player campaign and offline options—is apparently still being categorized by PlayStation as primarily an online product.

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The confusing part is how PSN-linked access is handled for the 132 affected territories. Even if connecting a PSN account makes things easier for PlayStation’s ecosystem, it’s still unclear why the company can’t loosen the rules for regions that don’t have PlayStation Network.

That’s especially frustrating for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls because it isn’t strictly an always-online title. With offline modes and a campaign component in the mix, there’s a clear argument that players without PSN should still be able to access the game and enjoy what’s already there—even if they can’t use PlayStation’s online service.

With rising costs, a lack of exclusives and no physical media – why bother with the PS6?