ARC Raiders and Fortnite Christmas Eve Outages: ART00004 Network Timeout Error and Troubleshooting Tips
ARC Raiders and Fortnite are currently experiencing widespread outages on Christmas Eve, with players on PC, PS5, and Xbox reporting the ART00004 Network Timeout error. Downdetector, a platform that monitors online outages, indicated that approximately 35,000 users in the US reported issues with ARC Raiders. The problem, which is preventing players from connecting to the game servers, is believed to be caused by server overload.
Despite the widespread reports of downtime, the game company has not yet released an official statement regarding the issue. Many players took to social media platforms like X to express their frustration over the Christmas Eve server outages affecting various services and games, including AWS, Fortnite, Steam, ARC Raiders, Marvel Rivals, and EA.
The ART00004 error message, which states 'Retrieving data from backend services timed out – please try again later,' typically signifies a server-side problem but can sometimes be resolved locally. Players are advised to check the server status on Downdetector.com or the ARC Raiders Discord/X (@ARCRaidersGame) for real-time updates on the outage. If the servers are indeed down, players should wait for Embark to restore stability.
To troubleshoot the issue on their end, players can try restarting both the ARC Raiders game and the Steam/Epic Games Launcher to reset the connection. Additionally, power-cycling the router by unplugging it for 30–60 seconds and then reconnecting can help clear any cache issues that may be causing local timeouts. PC players can also verify the integrity of game files on Steam to fix any corrupted data.
For better stability, players are advised to switch to a wired connection instead of using Wi-Fi, as Ethernet cables offer a more reliable connection. It is also recommended to avoid using VPNs, as they may disrupt server authentication. Earlier on Christmas Eve, the Steam Store experienced downtime for many users in the US, with the error being attributed to overloaded Valve servers or content delivery network (CDN) failures.
In conclusion, players of ARC Raiders and Fortnite are currently facing widespread outages on Christmas Eve due to the ART00004 Network Timeout error. While the game company has not issued an official statement yet, players can follow the provided troubleshooting steps to address the server connection issues and stay updated on the outage status through Downdetector and official game channels.