In a funded futures account, the platform is not a convenience. It is the only way out of a trade. When TopstepX, Topstep's only trading platform, went down again and again at the end of 2025, some traders say they could not close positions, and some say they lost accounts to rule breaches they could not prevent. The CEO promised to make it right in January 2026. The episode still shapes how traders judge Topstep this year.
What happened
According to Finance Magnates and HappyDog Trading (source no longer available), TopstepX experienced at least 11 confirmed platform outages across multiple trading sessions in November and December 2025. Traders reported:
- being unable to open or close positions;
- delayed order executions;
- stop-loss and take-profit orders that, they said, failed to work as expected;
- accounts auto-liquidated during outages, breaching Maximum Loss Limits through no fault of their own.
These are traders' accounts, as reported by the outlets above and by Investor Radar. Topstep offers only one platform, TopstepX, which Finance Magnates describes as a rebranded version of ProjectX.
Topstep founder and CEO Michael Patak acknowledged the outages in late December 2025. According to Finance Magnates, he stated that "in January we will be making things right."
The reputational hit
Coverage of the outages reported that Topstep's Trustpilot score had dropped to 3.6 and that the company responded to only 4% of negative reviews. Traders also complained about what they described as an unsupportive response to losses caused by the outages. PropTradingVibes has since published a guide titled "Why Traders Are Leaving Topstep in 2026", and BrokersView has run critical coverage of the firm. We could not verify the details of how Topstep compensated affected traders in January, so we do not claim either way whether the promise was kept in full.
Why a single platform is a single point of failure
Outages happen at every trading venue and broker. What made this episode worse is the combination of three things:
- One platform. Topstep traders cannot switch to a backup platform mid-trade if TopstepX fails.
- Hard rules. Prop accounts are closed automatically when a loss limit is breached. A breach during an outage can end an account permanently unless the firm reverses it.
- Exclusivity. After 28 February 2026, ProjectX ended support for other prop firms and became effectively Topstep-exclusive. That concentrates both the platform's advantages and its failure modes inside one firm.
For MNQ and NQ scalpers, who can move from green to a loss-limit breach in seconds on a fast tape, a frozen platform is more dangerous than any rule on the sheet.
Both sides
Topstep's side: the CEO publicly acknowledged the problem and committed to a timeline, which many prop firms never do. Topstep is also one of the longest-running firms in the industry and controls its own platform roadmap.
Traders' side: an acknowledgment does not restore a funded account, and the review-response rate suggested many complaints went unanswered. When a platform the firm chose causes a breach, traders argue the firm should carry the cost, not the trader.
What traders can do (general, not advice)
- Use server-side brackets where available, so stops live with the order system rather than your screen.
- Document everything. Screenshot errors with timestamps and save order logs the moment something goes wrong.
- Know the outage policy before you trade, and ask support for it in writing if it is not published.
- Size for platform risk, especially around the open and major data releases.
- Diversify platforms across firms if you run multiple funded accounts.
Key takeaways
- TopstepX had at least 11 confirmed outages in November and December 2025, per trade press.
- Traders reported frozen positions, failed stops and loss-limit breaches during outages.
- CEO Michael Patak acknowledged the problems and said "in January we will be making things right."
- Topstep runs on a single platform, now exclusive to it after ProjectX dropped other firms in February 2026.
- Written outage policies should be part of every trader's prop firm due diligence.
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FAQ
How many outages did TopstepX have?
Trade press reported at least 11 confirmed TopstepX outages across multiple sessions in November and December 2025.
What did Topstep's CEO say about the outages?
Founder and CEO Michael Patak acknowledged the problems in late December 2025 and said 'in January we will be making things right', according to Finance Magnates.
Can Topstep traders use another platform?
Topstep offers TopstepX as its only trading platform, which Finance Magnates describes as a rebranded version of ProjectX.
Loomi.Ai provides educational market research, not financial advice. Trading futures and options involves substantial risk of loss, and backtested results are historical and do not guarantee future returns.
Sources
- Topstep Faces Prop Traders' Wrath due to Repeated Outages, CEO Sets January Deadline for a Fix, Finance Magnates
- Topstep Faces Trader Backlash Over Repeated Platform Outages (source no longer available), HappyDog Trading
- TopStep's ProjectX Outages Fuel Frustration Among Traders, Investor Radar
- Why Traders Are Leaving Topstep in 2026 (And Where They Go), PropTradingVibes
- Exposing Topstep: Tips and Warnings for Future Traders, BrokersView (FastBull)
- Topstep, Wikipedia