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ChelleBelle716's avatar
ChelleBelle716
Seasoned Veteran
2 years ago

Error Code: EC:204 (can't play offline, says "game license has expired")

Whenever EA puts out a game update, I don't update immediately and switch to playing offline for a week or more (depending on how bad it is) while I wait for mods to be updated and for the worst of the new bugs and glitches to be resolved. I've done this since the EA App was released without issue. 

So the EA App updated shortly before the 7/23 game update and when I went to play offline last night, I discovered I suddenly couldn't. I click on "go offline" and it shows Sims 4 as an installed game, but now when I click play, instead of launching the game offline as usual, I'm getting an error message telling me that the game license has expired and that I need to launch the game to renew the license and gives the Error Code: EC:204.

I've never had this issue before. So now I cannot play the game at all as I've seen how lit it is out on the bug  report forum and there's no way I'm updating my game right now with all the issues the patch has created. And I can't go "online" with the game without it automatically pushing the update.

Is anyone else having this issue with playing offline right now? And is anyone aware of a work around? (Note: I have already logged out and back in, uninstalled and reinstalled the EA App, cleared the cache, restarted my PC, and ensured by XBox and EA accounts aren't linked (they never were).) 

25 Replies

  • Primalgoddess's avatar
    Primalgoddess
    New Novice
    6 days ago

    Your link is in German.... Doesn't help much.  For English speaking people.

  • I was able to play offline mode to avoid the game/mod breaking update since it came out. I was able to play sims 4 earlier this morning now when trying to launch it (ea app) shows the game license has expired and gives error code EC:204, I have followed deleting the cache update the app and everything but still receive the error. I dont want to repair the game as it will install the latest update. Any solutions?

  • Moskikat's avatar
    Moskikat
    Seasoned Vanguard
    4 days ago

    unfortunately this issue has been around for YEARS, you can see here a couple topics about it
    https://forums.ea.com/discussions/ea-app-technical-issues-en/error-code-ec204-cant-play-offline-says-game-license-has-expired/4944345
    https://forums.ea.com/discussions/ea-app-technical-issues-en/sims-4---game-license-invalid/11806868
    https://forums.ea.com/discussions/ea-app-technical-issues-en/impossible-to-launch-sims-4-without-internet-connection/7510989

    and still, we didn't receive any fix

  • Yeah I checked all those forums unfortunately. I think its by design they haven't fixed it because it forces you to update. On the off chance that they genuinely don't know how to properly fix it. Allowing you to play the game with out forcing you to update would be easier fix imo. wishful thinking

  • Moskikat's avatar
    Moskikat
    Seasoned Vanguard
    2 days ago

    Yesterday I was forced to updated the game, to be able to play it. This is INSANE. I'm starting to understand why some people just stick to ☠️ versions.

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