Diablo 2: Resurrected “Failed to Authenticate” Error, explained

With another Diablo 2: Resurrected beta underway, players are already causing the servers to strain a little bit, resulting in some problems. In this guide, we will break down the Diablo 2: Resurrected “Failed to Authenticate” error, and explain if there is anything you can do to fix it.

First things first, this is an issue with the servers, not your beta key, or your access permissions. If you have pre-ordered the game or been given a beta key by Blizzard through some official means, then your access is good. The first step when logging into most games is an authentication server that will check to make sure you are allowed to do so. This means checking that your beta key is legitimate, or in the case of full release, that your game has been legally purchased.

Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong during beta testing, and the servers will fail or they will struggle with the volume of traffic if the developer underestimates the level of traffic that will be generated. There isn’t really much that players who are getting this issue can do, except wait for Blizzard to resolve the problem, or for traffic to die down a little.

The other reason that it can happen is that you may be able to get slightly earlier access to attempt to launch the game, but the servers haven’t been fired up yet. If you download the game on consoles, for example, you may be able to launch the app, but without servers to check your permissions, your authentication will automatically fail. It can also happen if there is a version mismatch between the installed version of the game and the server version.

The best thing to do is restart your launcher or console, make sure an update is not pending, and then try to log in again and that may just resolve the issue.