An unbelievably terrifying bug made its rounds in Sony's PSN, causing quite a stir among players.
It's absolutely frustrating: You want to unwind after a long day of work by playing some Helldivers 2, only to encounter an error message. Whether it's issues with the network or the latest update on your console, the window that spits out a cryptic error code can really ruin your day. But this PlayStation bug is even more severe, as it deprives you of most of your purchased games.
PS Players Are Being Robbed Of Their Purchased Games
It sounds like a nightmare come true, and for some PlayStation players, it truly is. One of these unfortunate individuals recently spoke up on Reddit, sharing their experience with thousands of others.
PSA: People are losing access to their digital licenses, and people need to be talking about it. by u/dSuds2342 in playstation
They and others have experienced games that they rightfully obtained, whether through PS+ or purchasing from the PS Store, simply disappearing from their library. However, they still appear in the transaction history.
When attempting to download these games, the system prompts them to purchase the software or add it via PS+. Yet, when they try to do so, they receive an error message stating that they already own the software. Even games they've previously downloaded are marked with a padlock. No matter how you look at it, the games remain inaccessible.
Exactly how this bug occurs is not yet fully understood, but the Reddit user has a suspicion.
The exact sequence of events that nuked my licenses was me trying to launch a game (Helldivers II) and getting an error message (CE-117773-6). Google told me to "Restore Licenses," and doing that is what wiped me out.
Should one encounter the error code CE-117773-6 when starting a game, it is advisable to first check the game library on PlayStation.com. If anything appears suspicious there, it's best to refrain from restoring licenses.
What Sony Is Doing To Address The Bug
The whole situation would be frustrating enough if it weren't for the somewhat unhelpful PlayStation support. One would think that if it's possible to prove rightful ownership of the games through the transaction history, it should be possible to regain access to them. However, it appears that this is not the case, as the OP and other affected individuals all report the same: "PlayStation Support is offering virtually nothing in terms of information."
Some of those affected have been waiting for a response from Sony since November of last year. But there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.
Other Reddit users have taken up the issue and tirelessly worked to raise awareness of the problem everywhere, in hopes that Sony takes notice – and it seems they have succeeded.
In another thread one user repeatedly posted updates on restored accounts of affected gamers. They themselves also received an email from support stating that the engineers have fixed their account. It can be assumed that Sony has found a way to resolve the issue, which hopefully means they will soon release a patch that completely fixes the bug.
This case shows that it can definitely be worthwhile to not only reach out to support when encountering a technical issue. Once companies like Sony realize there's pressure from the community, they're more inclined to address such significant bugs.
Have you ever experienced a really frustrating bug on one of your devices? Did support help you? Share your experiences with us in the comments!