ARK You Must Be Signed In To Play Online Fix

The error “You must be signed in to play online” in ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) and ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) indicates a failure to authenticate your platform account with the game’s backend (Epic Online Services or your console network).

It rarely means you are actually “offline,” but rather that the handshake between your account and the server failed.

Here is the troubleshooting guide broken down by platform.

1. Xbox Series X|S & PC Game Pass (Most Common)

The Microsoft version of the game relies on “Gaming Services,” which frequently desyncs.

• Stop Using “Quick Resume” (Series X|S):

  • ARK cannot reconnect to online services after being suspended.

  • Fix: Press the Xbox button $\rightarrow$ Highlight ARK $\rightarrow$ Press Menu (Start) $\rightarrow$ Select Quit. Relaunch the game fresh every time.

• Reset the Store Cache (PC & Console):

  1. Sign out of your profile on both the Xbox App and the Microsoft Store.

  2. On PC: Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe, and hit Enter. Wait for the command prompt to close and the Store to reopen.

  3. Sign back in and launch the game.

• Reinstall Gaming Services (PC Only):

  If the above fails, your gaming services are likely corrupted.

  1. Right-click the Start button and select PowerShell (Admin) or Terminal (Admin).

  2. Paste this command to delete the service:get-appxpackage GamingServices | remove-AppxPackage -allusers
  3. Paste this command to reinstall it:start ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHN

  4. Install the app, restart your PC, and try again.

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2. PlayStation 5

This is usually caused by a license verification glitch.

• Restore Licenses:

  • Go to Settings $\rightarrow$ Users and Accounts $\rightarrow$ Other $\rightarrow$ Restore Licenses.

  • Select Restore. This forces the PSN to re-verify you own the game and have permission to play online.

• Power Cycle (Clear Cache):

  • Turn the console fully off (not Rest Mode).

  • Unplug the power cord for 2 minutes. This clears the temporary cache that may be holding a “not signed in” error.

3. Steam (PC)

• The “Player 1” Bug:

  • Look at your character name in the main menu. If it says “Player 1” or “Survivor” instead of your Steam name, Steam is not passing your ID to the game.

  • Fix: Click Steam in the top left corner $\rightarrow$ Exit (do not just close the window). Restart Steam and launch again.

• Verify Integrity:

  • Right-click ARK in your Library $\rightarrow$ Properties $\rightarrow$ Installed Files $\rightarrow$ Verify integrity of game files.

  • This fixes corrupted BattlEye files that often trigger this error.

4. Universal Fixes (All Platforms)

• Sync Your Time: If your PC/Console clock is off by even a minute, the server will reject your login. Go to your Date & Time settings and click “Sync Now.”

• Disable IPv6 (PC Network Fix):

  • Some users report that disabling IPv6 fixes the “Signed In” error immediately.

  • Control Panel $\rightarrow$ Network and Sharing Center $\rightarrow$ Change adapter settings $\rightarrow$ Right-click your connection $\rightarrow$ Properties $\rightarrow$ Uncheck “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)”.