A free PlayStation Plus edition of Driveclub has been delayed across the US and Europe, the game’s developer has confirmed.

An abridged version of the PlayStation 4 racing title–which is free to PlayStation Plus subscribers–was scheduled to unlock in North America on Tuesday and across Europe on Wednesday, but neither appeared.

Now, in a new blog published on DriveClub’s official Facebook page, the game’s director Paul Rustchynsky explained there will be a delay to the free version. Rustchynsky said the delay is necessary because server problems are affecting the game already.

“We are seeing a lot of activity and new social behaviours right now, but unfortunately this is pushing the servers to their absolute limits,” he wrote.

“We are sorry if you are having a hard time getting online as we know many of you are. Please be aware that the game will automatically keep trying to connect you. Once you’re online, you should have no further problems during your session.”

He explained that the game’s developer, Evolution Studios, is working on a number of patches to eliminate the problems.

“In order to help all Driveclub players who have the game already, we’re temporarily holding back the PS Plus Edition and the My Driveclub app to ease the load and traffic to the servers,” he added.

“This should give players a better chance of connecting to the game servers.”

The full, paid-for version of Driveclub released across North America on October 7 and in the UK on October 10. GameSpot’s Driveclub review was somewhat disappointed by the game, suggesting it makes no bold advances in the racing genre. To add to Evolution Studio’s troubles, players have begun to report problems getting online, being shown instead a “Fault With Your Internet Connection” error code.

“To our PS Plus fans, we’re sorry you’re having to wait longer to play, but we want to ensure that when you come on board, you get the best experience possible,” Rustchynsky added.

“Rest assured, if you’ve pre-ordered the full game upgrade from the PS Plus Edition, you will still get the full version of Driveclub digitally, and if you can’t get online you’ll be able to get started offline like everybody else with single player mode as you start your Driveclub tour.

“We fully appreciate how frustrating this is for everyone. We want you to get online with your club because racing, challenging and having fun together is what the game is all about. We know that racing with your friends online is what you’ve been waiting for and we are doing everything we can to deliver that experience to you as soon as possible.

“Sorry again for the difficult start. We’ll keep you regularly updated on our progress as we work round the clock to improve connectivity.”

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