Sea of Thieves Services is Temporarily Unavailable: Released in 2018, Sea of Thieves is an action-adventure multiplayer video game developed by Rare Ltd and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is accessible on platforms such as Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
In this immersive experience, players assume the role of pirates, embarking on voyages from various trading companies within an expansive open world. However, some users are encountering the “Sea of Thieves Services is Temporarily Unavailable” error while playing on PC.
Numerous players have reported that upon attempting to enter the game or join/host a server, they frequently encounter this error message, which is often linked to network issues.
The message states: “The Sea of Thieves Services is temporarily unavailable. Please try again. (Lavenderbeard).” If you are experiencing this issue, this troubleshooting guide will provide you with steps to resolve it. Follow the methods outlined below sequentially for the best chance of fixing the problem.
The temporary unavailability of Sea of Thieves services can stem from several factors. Common causes include server operation disruptions, intermittent glitches, or cache data problems on your gaming device.
Additionally, difficulties with Xbox credentials, as well as issues related to VPNs or proxy servers, may contribute to the error. It’s also worth noting that problems with SSL and TLS certifications can play a role.
To resolve the issue, consider whitelisting the game in your firewall settings or reinstalling it altogether.
1. Check Sea of Thieves Server Status
To begin with, it’s important to verify the operational status of the Sea of Thieves servers. Connectivity problems with the game servers can sometimes lead to temporary service unavailability errors.
If you encounter such an error, we recommend checking the official Sea of Thieves Game Status page for up-to-date information on server functionality. Alternatively, you can also refer to the Is The Service Down page for similar insights.
Furthermore, consider visiting the Down Detector Sea of Thieves page, where you can find real-time user reports, a live outage map, and status updates from the past 24 hours.
If you discover that there is indeed a server outage, it’s advisable to wait a couple of hours before attempting to connect again. If the servers are functioning properly, feel free to explore the next troubleshooting step.
2. Restart your PC or Xbox Console
Sometimes, simply rebooting your Windows PC or Xbox console can resolve various bugs and glitches effectively. If you haven’t yet restarted your device to refresh its system, it’s worth giving it a try.
3. Check Internet Connectivity
To ensure a smooth gaming experience, it is essential to thoroughly assess your internet connection. Network instability or slow speeds can hinder your ability to connect to game servers effectively.
If you are currently using a wired (Ethernet) connection, consider switching to a wireless (Wi-Fi) connection, or vice versa, to see if that resolves the issue.
Additionally, testing a different internet connection can help identify the problem. Utilizing a mobile data hotspot may also provide insights into your connectivity issues.
4. Power Cycle your Wi-Fi Router
It’s quite likely that your Wi-Fi connection is functioning properly, but the router itself may be experiencing connectivity issues, such as temporary glitches or problems with the DNS cache.
To address this, it’s advisable to perform a power cycle on your Wi-Fi router. To do this, turn off the router and disconnect the power cable.
After waiting approximately one minute, reconnect the power cable and turn the router back on. This simple reset can help resolve any potential issues stemming from the router itself.
5. Run the game as an administrator
To prevent any user account control issues related to privileges, it’s important to launch the game executable file with administrator permissions. Additionally, you should also run the Steam client with the same elevated rights. Here’s how to do it:
- 1. Locate the Sea of Thieves executable shortcut on your desktop or in the file directory.
- 2. Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties.
- 3. Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
- 4. Check the box that says “Run this program as an administrator.”
- 5. Click Apply, then OK to confirm the changes.
Repeat these steps for the Steam client as well. These adjustments should help resolve any issues you might encounter while playing Sea of Thieves on your PC.
6. Disable VPN or Proxy Servers
Avoid using VPN applications or proxy servers on your PC or Wi-Fi router, as they can often lead to server connectivity problems. While VPNs are beneficial for accessing content restricted by geographic location or connecting to specific game servers, they tend to increase latency, resulting in longer connection times. This heightened latency can lead to issues such as high ping, server connectivity errors, and messages like “request timed out” or “unable to connect to servers.”
If you’re utilizing a proxy server on your Windows PC, consider disabling it to improve connectivity. Similar to VPNs, proxy servers can interfere with connections to online game servers. To disable the proxy settings, follow these steps:
- 1. Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings menu.
- 2. Select “Network & Internet” from the left sidebar.
- 3. Navigate to the “Proxy” section and ensure you turn off the Proxy Server settings.
- 4. Additionally, disable the toggle for “Automatically detect settings.”
By taking these steps, you can enhance your connection and minimize potential issues while gaming or using online services.
7. Release Xbox Credentials
Many PC gamers encounter connectivity problems when trying to play online multiplayer games, often linked to their Xbox account credentials. To resolve this issue, you can release the Xbox credentials by following these steps:
- 1. Open the Start menu on your Windows device and type “Credential Manager” in the search bar.
- 2. Select “Windows Credentials” from the options provided.
- 3. Locate the entries associated with “Xbl_Ticket” and delete any that contain the string or value “1717113201.”
- 4. Restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.
- 5. Once your computer is back up, launch Sea of Thieves and check if the connectivity issue persists.
By following these steps, you should be able to improve your gaming experience.
8. Disable SSL 3.0 and Enable TLS 1.2
Players of Sea of Thieves (SoT) might experience connectivity problems stemming from misconfigurations in SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.2 settings. To enhance your connection, it is advisable to adjust these settings if your system allows it.
- To start, open the Start menu on your Windows device and type “Internet Options” in the search bar. Access the Advanced tab once the options appear.
- Here, ensure that SSL 3.0 is disabled by unchecking the box next to it. Conversely, make sure TLS 1.2 is enabled by checking its corresponding option.
- After making these adjustments, restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect.
- This simple reconfiguration may help improve your gaming experience.
9. Whitelist the game via Windows Firewall
It’s important to ensure that your antivirus software does not interfere with the operation of your game.
To facilitate a smooth gaming experience, consider adding the game executable file to the antivirus whitelist.
Some antivirus programs may aggressively block files that they deem suspicious, which could prevent the game from running properly or connecting to its servers. Here’s how to do this:
- 1. Open the Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys simultaneously.
- 2. In the left sidebar, select “Privacy & Security.”
- 3. Navigate to “Windows Security,” then click on “Virus & threat protection.”
- 4. Scroll down and select “Manage Ransomware Protection.”
- 5. Ensure that the “Controlled folder access” option is turned on.
- 6. Next, go to “Firewall & network protection.”
- 7. Click on “Allow an app through firewall,” then select “Change settings.”
- 8. Hit the “Allow another app…” button and then click on “Browse.”
- 9. Locate and select the SeaOfThieves.exe file from the game’s installation directory.
- 10. Click “Open,” then “Add,” and finally, try launching the game again to see if it connects to the servers without any issues.
By following these steps, you can help ensure that your antivirus does not hinder your gaming experience.
10. Update Sea of Thieves
At times, you might encounter situations where you cannot update your game to the latest version immediately after a new patch is released, for various reasons. However, we highly encourage you to follow these steps to check for updates and install the most current patch, if one is available. Updates typically bring new features, enhance stability, fix bugs, and more. Here’s how you can do it:
- 1. Launch the Steam client.
- 2. Navigate to your Library.
- 3. Select ‘Sea of Thieves‘ from the list on the left.
- 4. The client will automatically check for any available updates. If an update is found, be sure to click on the ‘Update‘ button.
- 5. The installation may take some time, so please be patient. Once the update is complete, close the Steam client.
- 6. Finally, restart your PC to ensure all changes are applied, and then relaunch the game to enjoy the latest enhancements.
11. Verify and Repair Game Files
There is a significant possibility that your game files may become corrupted or missing due to unforeseen circumstances or interference from other software.
If this occurs, you might experience various problems, such as difficulties launching the game, lag, error messages, or issues connecting to servers. To efficiently resolve these problems and restore your game files, you can follow these straightforward steps using the Steam client:
- 1. Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate Sea of Thieves in your list of installed games and right-click on it.
- 3. Select Properties and then go to the Local Files tab.
- 4. Click on the option to Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- 5. Allow the process to complete, which may take a few moments.
- 6. After it finishes, restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect.
By following these steps, you can quickly fix any missing or corrupted game files with minimal effort.
12. Reinstall Sea of Thieves
If you’ve tried all other troubleshooting methods without success, consider reinstalling the Sea of Thieves game on your PC to potentially resolve the server connectivity issues. Here’s how you can do that:
- 1. Open the Steam client on your computer.
- 2. Navigate to your Library and locate Sea of Thieves.
- 3. Right-click on the game and select “Manage,” then choose “Uninstall.”
- 4. If a confirmation prompt appears, click “Uninstall” again and follow the instructions to finish the uninstallation process.
- 5. After the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect.
- 6. Once your computer has rebooted, reopen the Steam client and search for Sea of Thieves to reinstall it using your existing Steam account.
After reinstalling, you should hopefully no longer encounter the “Sea of Thieves Services is Temporarily Unavailable” error. We hope this guide has been helpful! If you have any further questions or need assistance, feel free to leave a comment below.
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