[UPDATE]
The PlayStation Network is back online and is fully operational again. Sony has confirmed that players should now be able to access online services without any issues. The recent downtime started on Friday, February 7, and lasted for almost 24 hours, with services being restored on the evening of February 8. This outage marks the second-longest in PSN history, only eclipsed by the well-known 2011 PSN outage that lasted for several weeks.
“Sorry for the inconvenience,” Sony mentioned in its update regarding the restoration of online services. Initially, the company did not provide a reason for the PSN downtime, causing speculation and curiosity among fans.
However, Sony has since declared that an “operational issue” was the cause of the downtime. While this explanation may seem vague to fans, many are urging Sony to disclose more specific details about what occurred and what preventive measures the company plans to implement in the future.
Sony has decided to offer all PlayStation Plus members an additional five days of service as compensation for the inconvenience caused. “We apologize for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience,” Sony stated.
Network services have fully recovered from an operational issue. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience. All PlayStation Plus members will automatically receive an additional 5 days of service.
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) February 9, 2025
The original story follows below.
Online Services Disruption on PlayStation Network
Periodically, online services for major networks encounter disruptions, and currently, Sony’s PlayStation Network is experiencing issues. Reports of PSN problems began on a Friday evening, and as of now, these issues have persisted for over 18 hours. This outage is now the second-longest in PSN history, trailing only the 2011 PSN outage that lasted 23 days.
The Ask PlayStation account has acknowledged the ongoing issues which are affecting a wide range of PSN services, including account management, the PlayStation Store, and the ability to launch and play games. This extended outage has prompted users to voice their frustrations and opinions online.
Why the PSN Outage?
The lack of communication from Sony regarding the cause of the PSN downtime has left fans frustrated. The company has only acknowledged that “some users might be currently experiencing issues with PSN.” As of now, Sony has not provided further details on the cause or the expected duration of the outage.
Speculations suggest that Sony might be dealing with a situation similar to the massive DDoS attack that targeted Microsoft’s Xbox Azure servers in December 2024, according to reporter Tom Warren from The Verge.
Impacted Services
The PSN outage has affected almost every aspect of the service, including accessing the PlayStation Store, launching games, and watching PlayStation Video content. Even the PlayStation Direct store, which offers various PlayStation items and gear, has been impacted by the outage.
Even physical games are bricked without PSN access if you need to pair a disc drive. This is why real physical media and disc drive access is vital.
Welcome to the future – nobody owns anything, and all art and entertainment is disposable, temporary, and lost forever. https://t.co/YUNA2Bbh75— Ryan T. Brown 🎮❤️ (@Toadsanime) February 8, 2025
Games that require an internet connection are currently unplayable while some users have reported issues with single-player games and non-functional disc drives leading to consoles becoming unusable.
Impact on In-Game Events
Special in-game events in various popular titles like Destiny 2’s Heresy/Sundered Doctrine contest and Call of Duty’s Terminator event have been affected by the PSN outage. Developers are considering different options to address the impact on these events, including potential make-up periods or future weekend adjustments.
Team is fully aware of the PS outage and impact to Heresy/Sundered Doctrine Contest.
We’re discussing options.
Stay tuned to D2Teams for info at a later date.— dmg04 (@A_dmg04) February 8, 2025
PSN Outage Relief
Krispy Kreme has joined the conversation by offering free original glazed donuts to everyone on February 8, between 5-7 PM, as a way to provide a sweet reward during the PSN outage. This gesture comes amidst a challenging time when many users are unable to access their favorite games.
The Impact of the PSN Outage
The timing of this PSN outage on a Friday evening, just before a major snowstorm in some regions, and ahead of the Super Bowl weekend has frustrated many gamers. Sony is working to resolve the issues swiftly to ensure players can resume their gaming activities as soon as possible.
For the latest updates on the PSN server status, users can follow the official PSN Status page for real-time information. We will continue to update this post as new details emerge.
The Infamous 2011 PSN Outage
In 2011, the PSN suffered a prolonged outage lasting over three weeks due to a hacker attack. Although there is no evidence of a similar incident occurring this time, Sony faced backlash during that episode. The company eventually resolved the issue and provided compensation through a “Welcome Back” program. However, some users felt the compensation was insufficient, leading to a class-action lawsuit against Sony, which was settled in 2014, costing the company over $170 million.
Timing Before a Rumored State of Play
The recent PSN issues have emerged just before rumors of an upcoming PlayStation State of Play event, speculated to occur on Friday, February 14. The event is expected to showcase new games, potentially including a new look at Death Stranding 2.
Impact on Xbox and Nintendo
Both Xbox and Nintendo’s online services are currently operating normally without any reported issues.