AION 2's global launch opens on October 5 at 13:00 UTC, and with it come the queues and error messages every MMO launch brings. Here is what each AION 2 error means and what fixes it, from NC's own notices and support pages first, then from what players report. Codes nobody has explained yet are marked as such: we update this page as NC publishes more. The current state of the servers and maintenance is on our AION 2 status page.
Error codes at a glance
| Code or message |
What it means |
First thing to try |
| S:8970 |
The client cannot reach the game server, almost always because servers are overloaded |
Wait a few minutes, then restart the game and launcher |
| S:17 |
"Failed to reconnect", back to the login screen |
Log in again |
| S:8713, S:8969 |
Not explained by NC or any player source yet |
The generic steps below, then a support ticket |
| "You do not have Advanced Access" |
Your Founder's Pack was not recognised on the account you are using |
Restart the client; check which account is linked |
| Character creation closed |
The server is full |
Pick a newer server; free transfers from October 14 |
| 0xE0000013, 0xE0000011 |
The game closes at start-up (anti-cheat) |
Remove npcap and conflicting tools |
| Fatal error after the NC logo |
Unreal Engine crash |
Turn off overlays, update drivers, verify files |
| 40309:500 |
A temporary NC login error |
Wait a few minutes, request one new code |
S:8970: unable to connect to the game server
S:8970 is the error players saw most during Advanced Access, at every peak hour: the client cannot reach the game server. NC has not published a definition of the code, but players and press agree it comes from server load rather than from your PC.
- Wait a few minutes and try again, and check NC's notices for a maintenance or an incident.
- Close the game and the launcher completely (Steam or PURPLE, including the tray icon and any process left in the Task Manager), then start again, instead of pressing Retry over and over.
- Verify the game files: on Steam, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity; on PURPLE, the file scan in the game's settings.
- Turn off any VPN or proxy, allow the game and its launcher through your firewall, and flush your DNS (
ipconfig /flushdns in a command prompt).
S:17, S:8713 and S:8969
- S:17 shows "Failed to reconnect to the server. Moving to login screen": log in again; if it repeats for everyone, the server is struggling and the best fix is to wait. A wired connection helps.
- S:8713 and S:8969 have no explanation from NC or from any player source as of October 4. Follow the S:8970 steps above; if the code persists, note the exact message and open a ticket on NC's support site. We will update this section as soon as NC explains them.
"You do not have Advanced Access" and account linking
During Advanced Access, some Founder's Pack owners were refused with "You do not have Advanced Access and cannot enter". NC acknowledged that some players' status was not recognised and shipped a fix that applies when you restart the client. Reinstalling the game does not help.
The usual cause is the account: the Founder's Pack lives on the account you bought it with, and launching from Steam without a linked NC account can create a second account.
- Linking Steam to an NC account is optional: you only need it to play the same character on Steam and on PURPLE. Both launchers install the same game and share the same servers.
- For Twitch Drops, do not link your account separately on NC's website: NC warns that doing so can break your existing link and lock you out of your character.
- Check which account is linked on NC's website, under My Page, Manage Login.
- Do not unlink and relink again and again, and do not buy a second pack: open a ticket on NC's support site instead.
Character creation closed or server full
When a server reaches its cap, NC closes character creation there; existing characters can still log in. NC's community team says it is raising caps and adding servers, and NC opened several new server pairs during Advanced Access.
- Create your character on a newer server: our server list shows every server by region and faction.
- Dungeons and other instances are cross-server, NC says: you can still group with friends on another server.
- Free server transfers open on October 14, within the same faction. Characters on Advanced Access servers can only move to other Advanced Access servers.
- Queues: when a server is full, NC says members in good standing join a priority queue rather than the general one.
The game crashes or will not start
- 0xE0000013 or 0xE0000011 at start-up: players link these to the game's anti-cheat refusing software that hooks into the game. The most reported fix is to uninstall npcap (installed with Wireshark and some DPS meters); close macro and RGB suites, Cheat Engine and remote-control tools, and check that your antivirus has not quarantined a game file.
- Fatal error after the NC logo (an Unreal Engine crash): turn off the PURPLE overlay, RivaTuner or MSI Afterburner, repair the Visual C++ Redistributables, update your graphics driver and verify the files. Several players fixed it by unplugging non-essential USB devices until the login screen.
- A "Block Code" pop-up: NC has a support article on it; the code points to software the game blocks. Note the code and contact support if removing tools does not help.
- You launched "AION 2 Playtest": the Steam Playtest is a separate app. NC asks Steam players to uninstall it and install AION 2 itself.
- A long "decrypting" step on the first launch is normal: the pre-downloaded files are unlocked on your PC. Start the game a little before 13:00 UTC so it is done in time.
Login server, region and verification
- "Unable to connect to the login server": fully restart the launcher, sign out and back into your NC account, make sure your PC's clock is set automatically, and turn off any VPN.
- 40309:500, "A temporary error has occurred": a temporary NC login error, seen mostly during phone code registration on the Korean and Taiwanese versions. Wait a few minutes and request a single new code.
- Phone or identity verification is not needed on the Global version, as far as any source shows: it applies to the Korean (real-name check) and Taiwanese (OTP device) versions. Use the Global client, on Steam or PURPLE.
- Some countries cannot buy or launch the game on Steam: NC has a support article listing them; third-party trackers of Steam's data count 18 territories, including South Korea, Taiwan, China, Russia, Belgium and the Netherlands. Players in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand who use PURPLE must set PURPLE's region to Global. Using a VPN to get around a region lock may break NC's terms of service.
Known issues NC has confirmed
- Do not open the Duty tab before level 45: doing so makes Duties unavailable until the next day.
- In English, the "Vanguard of Atreia" title from the Founder's Packs shows the wrong name in the title menu.
Where to get help
NC's support site, help.plaync.com, covers accounts, security, purchases and refunds, with a ticket form; bugs go to the bug-report channel of NC's official Discord. Our launch guide has the launch time in your time zone and the coupon code, and the system requirements tell you whether your PC is ready.
