PlayStation Network (PSN) has suffered a major global outage, affecting thousands of players worldwide. The disruption, which began late Friday night, has impacted key services, including gaming and social features, PlayStation Store, and PlayStation Direct. While offline gameplay remains functional, online multiplayer and digital services have been rendered inaccessible, frustrating millions of gamers.
According to PlayStation’s official status page, multiple services, including account management, PlayStation Video, and online gaming, are facing issues. Players attempting to access popular online games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto, and Marvel Rivals have reported being unable to connect to game servers. The outage has led to widespread complaints across social media, with frustrated users sharing their inability to play online.
DownDetector, a website that tracks real-time outages, indicated that the problems began shortly before midnight on Friday, July 19. Within hours, over 71,000 users had reported connectivity issues, suggesting the problem was widespread. As of Saturday morning, many players continue to experience difficulties, with PlayStation’s support channels receiving an overwhelming number of inquiries.
One of the most significant impacts of the outage is on Call of Duty players, as it coincides with a highly anticipated promotional weekend. The event, offering double XP rewards in Black Ops 6 and Warzone, was set to boost player engagement. However, the inability to access online matches has left many fans disappointed.
Sony has acknowledged the issue on its support webpage, stating that its teams are actively working to resolve the situation. However, no estimated time for restoration has been provided. The lack of clear communication has fueled further frustration among players, with many expressing their disappointment over the timing of the outage.
BBC News has reached out to both Sony and Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard for official comments regarding the cause and expected resolution of the issue. So far, no official statements have been released.
This is not the first time PlayStation Network has faced widespread disruptions. Previous outages, such as the infamous PSN breach in 2011, lasted for weeks, causing major setbacks for the company and its user base. While this incident appears to be a technical failure rather than a security breach, the scale of the impact highlights the growing dependency of modern gaming on stable online services.
As players await updates, Sony’s ability to swiftly resolve the issue will determine how much goodwill it retains from its dedicated gaming community.
