Why Steam store is down today. How to solve e502 l3 error
Steam and the Steam Store is experiencing widespread outages on Wednesday, with thousands of users reporting the E502 L3 error
Steam and the Steam Store is experiencing widespread outages on Wednesday, with thousands of users reporting the E502 L3 error, a server-side issue preventing access to purchases, browsing, and account services. Downdetector, a platform that tracks online outages, showed that over 14,000 users in the US reported issues.
“did steam really go down the second i was going to buy things off it,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Was going to send $100 on Steam to everyone following me here on twitter dot com, but their service is down. 😔” another one added.
The company is yet to issue a statement.
What is the Steam error?
The error, described as a "Bad Gateway," stems from overloaded Valve servers or content delivery network (CDN) failures, which are exacerbated by millions of users attempting to access deals or new releases simultaneously.
How to solve the E502 L3 error?
Check Server Status: Visit Steamstat.us or Downdetector to confirm if Steam’s servers are down. If widespread issues are reported, the problem is on Valve’s end.
Wait It Out: E502 L3 is almost always a server-side issue. Avoid spamming refresh or purchase buttons, as this risks temporary account locks due to security measures. Most outages resolve within hours as traffic stabilizes.
Switch Platforms: Try accessing the Steam Store via a browser instead of the client, or vice versa. Some users report success on alternate platforms, though this rarely bypasses major outages.
Change Download Region: In Steam Settings > Downloads, select a different region. This may reroute to less congested servers, though it’s ineffective during global outages like today’s.
Clear Cache: Go to Steam Settings > Downloads > Clear Download Cache, then log in again. This addresses rare local issues but won’t fix server-side errors.
