Key takeaways:

• Thousands faced severe connectivity issues on the PlayStation Network (PSN) starting Friday evening.
• Reports indicated over 71,000 complaints due to login failures and service interruptions.
• The outage coincided with peak gaming hours, impacting major titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty.
• Sony acknowledged the issues, assuring users they are working to set things right.

On Friday evening, a significant outage of Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) has resulted in widespread connectivity problems, leaving thousands of players unable to access their accounts or enjoy online games. According to reports, the disruptions began around 5:20 PM ET and peaked shortly thereafter, with Down Detector registering more than 71,000 complaints globally by 6:00 PM ET. The PSN services affected include account management, online gameplay, the PlayStation Store, and even cloud services for single-player games.

During this outage, major titles such as Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and Grand Theft Auto Online have been rendered inaccessible, leading to major player frustration. Many gamers had eagerly anticipated weekend events and tournaments, particularly in popular games like FC 25 and Call of Duty, where promotional double XP was featured. "PSN down on a Friday night is criminal," expressed a frustrated gamer via social media. The outage not only disrupted gameplay but also affected purchases on the PlayStation Store, prompting players to voice their frustrations across social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, using humor and memes to cope with the issue.

Sony has publicly acknowledged the disruption through its official channels, stating, "We are aware of the issues affecting PSN and are working to resolve them as quickly as possible." However, they have not provided detailed information regarding the cause or an estimated time for service restoration. As gamers continue to experience persistent login difficulties and the inability to utilize their accounts effectively, the anticipation and excitement of weekend gaming events have turned into disappointment.

The timeline for resolution remains uncertain, leaving players across various time zones grappling with a frustrating gaming experience this weekend. While sporadic reports suggest some users may have regained access, a significant portion of the gaming community remains unable to connect, highlighting the widespread impact of this outage.

For further updates, please refer to BBC and The Guardian.