Cannot launch Syndicate, Activation failed

Community Manager

2 years ago

Could you perhaps try the following and see if this works for you?

Enable the "View hidden files and folders in Windows" option via these steps and navigate to the folder manually: C:\ProgramData\Electronic Arts\EA Services\License,
In the "License" folder, where you should be if you've followed the above-shared steps, check if you can see files with the ".dlf" extension,
If you see them, delete these files and launch the game again. The game should now work.

If the problem persists, please keep following the steps below and report back to us in the thread.

If you continue to experience the issue

If you continue to experience the issue, please provide the following details (please click on "Spoiler" to reveal the info):

Windows version and build number (Press Windows keyboard button + R > Type “winver” (without the quotes), and press the Enter button on your keyboard),
EA app version (EA app > Top-left Hamburger Menu > About),
The region you're from,
Are you using an internal or external drive to play your games?
Are you using an HDD or SSD?
Date this issue started (is it still happening?)?
Other error(s)?
If possible, share a screenshot of the Error Code or provide a recording of how exactly the Error Code presents itself (you can use YouTube or Streamable to share these),
Please share a DxDiag,
IMPORTANT:
Please share an EA app Error Report ID. Steps can be found here on how to generate this ID.
- If you cannot open the EA app, you can still generate an Error Report ID by following the steps mentioned underneath the section called "I can't open the EA app".
Please share logs of the EA app, by either creating a .rar file of them and adding them to your post,
- The EA app logs can be found in C:\ProgramData\EA Desktop\Logs & C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Electronic Arts\EA Desktop\Logs.

None of the requested data contains any PII (Personal Identifiable Information).

This issue can be the result of a variety of root causes (please click on "Spoiler" to reveal the info):

You are logged into the wrong, not Steam x EA app connected, EA account in the EA app,
Your purchase didn't go as planned (please check this with Steam),
If you redeemed a standalone code for the game that you got via a 3rd party site, it's possible that something is wrong with the code,
- If that is the case, please get in touch with the store where you bought the code.
You might have the trial of the game installed, resulting in this error,
- You can check this by going to the Steam installation directory of the game > check if you see something along the lines of "...Trial.exe" and rename that file to "...OldTrial.exe".
Check if your EA app is fully up to date,
- You can manually check this by opening the EA app Updater program (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\EA).
There is something wrong with the EA app cache, try to perform an EA app Recovery,
Check if your Windows date/time is correct,
Check if the game, Steam and the EA app are not being blocked by a VPN, Firewall, or other forms of Anti-Virus software,
Make sure that if you have claimed the game via an EA Play subscription, your subscription hasn't expired.

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