ARC Raiders Down: Troubleshooting ARAU0297 Error Amid Widespread Outage - Step-by-Step Fixes for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation
Thousands of users across the US complained about ARC Raiders being down amid a massive outage
{
"title": "ARC Raiders Down: Troubleshooting ARAU0297 Error Amid Widespread Outage - Step-by-Step Fixes for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation",
"article": "A massive outage hit popular game ARC Raiders on Wednesday, leaving thousands of players in the US unable to access the game. The issue was not caused by an AWS outage, as the company clarified, but rather an unrelated event on the internet.
Players encountered an ARAU0297 error, which displays a message such as 'Online services are currently unavailable' or 'Online connection error,' preventing them from accessing matchmaking or the main menu. The error is likely due to authentication and network communication problems affecting PC, Xbox, and PlayStation users.
To resolve the issue, follow these step-by-step fixes:
**PC (Steam/Epic) Fixes:**
1. **Verify Internet Connection**: Close ARC Raiders, run another online service or game, and confirm your connection is stable. If you're using Wi-Fi, switch to Ethernet or move closer to the router to minimize packet loss during login.
2. **Reboot Networking Gear**: Power off your modem and router for several minutes, then reconnect and retry. Players behind CGNAT may need their ISP to issue a new public IP or replace routing hardware.
3. **Complete Embark Account Linking**: Sign in to your Embark profile in a browser and ensure it's correctly linked to your platform account. If it wasn't finished, complete the process, then relaunch the game.
4. **Repair EAC and Validate Game Files**: Verify the installation through your launcher and run the Easy Anti-Cheat starter once with administrator privileges before launching the game again.
**PlayStation 5 Fixes:**
1. **Restart Console and Router**: Restart both the console and router to refresh your connection.
2. **Sync Date and Time**: Re-sync or toggle automatic date, time, and DST settings—many players report instant success after correcting clock discrepancies.
3. **Restore Licenses**: If the game was newly purchased, restore licenses through the PS5 account settings.
4. **Clear Cache and Rebuild Database**: Clearing cache and rebuilding the database from Safe Mode can also help when combined with a router reboot.
**Xbox Series X|S Fixes:**
1. **Reboot Console and Network Equipment**: Reboot the console and network equipment, then try cloud streaming as a comparison test.
2. **Adjust Time and Reboot**: Toggle automatic time, adjust the time zone, and reboot—minor clock drift has caused repeated login failures for some users.
3. **Switch Console Region (Temporarily)**: Temporarily switching console region has resolved persistent loops in rare cases.
4. **Check NAT Status**: Check NAT status and speak with your ISP about CGNAT, IPv6, or replacing faulty router hardware if the problem persists."
