XBox, PlayStation User Networks Down, Hackers Claim Credit

Christmas Grinch? Users can’t connect to live services as hack group Lizard Squad takes responsibility

Sony PlayStation and Microsoft’s XBox Live networks, the popular gaming systems, were down over Christmas as hackers took credit for the crash.

The PlayStation Network and XBox Live, platforms for multiple-user gaming and streaming apps like Netflix, saw users shut out in the early hours of Christmas Day. A group by the name of Lizard Squad sent tweets teasing the attack on Wednesday, quickly claiming credit after.

“Xbox live off button,” one tweet read, pasting an IP address from Washington state, where Microsoft is headquartered.

“We are aware some users are unable to sign into Xbox Live. Our teams are working to resolve the issue. Visit xbox.com/support for status updates,” a Microsoft spokesperson told TheWrap.

When asked to clarify the nature of the service disruption, they added the company does not share details on the root cause of specific issues.

PlayStation confirmed their own connectivity problems, tweeting, “we’re aware that some users are having issues logging into PSN – engineers are investigating.”

Lizard Squad also threatened further attacks if they didn’t receive retweets and follows. 

“Xbox live and PS4 have been down all day,” one avid gamer said. “PS4 has been hacked before by a group of hackers, who have also hacked Blizzard, Steam, and other big gaming companies with online servers.”

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