DriveClub PlayStation Plus Edition officially postponed 'until further notice'

Evolution Studios' PlayStation 4 racing game DriveClub has been out for close to a month, but its online component has been rocky and unreliable. Today, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida issued a formal apology for the game's technical problems and confirmed that DriveClub PlayStation Plus Edition is now postponed "until further notice."

DriveClub launched on PS4 on Oct. 7, and developer Evolution Studios hasn't been able to provide a reliable online experience since then. The game's PlayStation Plus Edition, a sampling of DriveClub's cars and tracks, was expected to hit alongside or near the retail release. But given the core game's flaky online performance, the trial version of DriveClub hasn't been delivered as promised.

Sony Computer Entertainment hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment on DriveClub PS Plus Edition, but Yoshida addressed the absent release after apologizing for DriveClub's performance.

"We have been listening to your feedback and realize that patience understandably is running out," Yoshida wrote on Facebook. "Evo is working around the clock to close the gap, and we have deployed additional engineering resources to help resolve the remaining issues as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the time frames required to roll out the fully connected experience will be longer than anticipated and we do not have an exact time frame for when they will be resolved. We will continue to update you on progress and you can find the latest info on the DriveClub Facebook page.

"We are also very conscious that we have disappointed so many of you who were looking forward to playing the promised PS Plus Edition. Our first priority is to provide you with the best possible experience while playing DriveClub. With the high volume of new players and additional server load the PS Plus Edition is anticipated to bring, we are currently not confident that we can guarantee the best online experience. Until we can ensure that everyone can enjoy the full social connected online experience, we will be postponing the release of the PS Plus Edition until further notice."

Evolution Studios has updated its DriveClub Facebook page numerous times since the game's original release, saying it was updating its online infrastructure and rolling out new server updates in an attempt to address the game's performance woes. But problems have persisted with the socially connected racing game more than three weeks after its debut.

For more on DriveClub, read Polygon's review and review update which reflects the game's online problems.