Fix: Easy Anti-Cheat Error Code 3 (Account Validation Failed)

The message “You have been kicked out from the server because of a failure to validate your account through Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) [Error Code 3]” indicates that the game’s anti-cheat client failed to verify your account or establish a valid session with its verification servers. As a result, the connection is forcibly terminated before the game fully launches.

This error commonly appears in multiplayer games that use Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) for server-side validation, such as Fortnite, Battlefield 2042, and Hell Let Loose.

EAC relies on a secure data exchange between the game client, your online account, and EAC’s backend system to confirm session legitimacy. If this exchange is interrupted by network interference, corrupted EAC modules, blocked EAC services, or invalid sign-in tokens, validation fails and the server automatically removes you from the session.

1. Restart the Game

Restarting the game clears temporary glitches and forces Easy Anti-Cheat to re-verify your account credentials with its servers. This also helps eliminate short-term network interruptions that may be blocking the validation process.

To do this: Close the game completely > Open your launcher > Relaunch the game.

2. Update the Game

Updating ensures the game runs on the latest version, which often includes bug fixes that resolve validation or connectivity issues.

1. Open Steam on your PC.
2. Find Dead by Daylight in your Library.
3. If an update is available, click Update.
4. After the update finishes, relaunch the game and check if the issue is resolved.

3. Verify the Game Files

Verifying game files scans for and replaces any missing or corrupted components that may prevent Easy Anti-Cheat from validating your account properly. This ensures the game operates with complete, undamaged data.

1. Right-click on Dead by Daylight and select Properties.
2. Go to the Installed Files tab and click Verify integrity of game files.
3. Steam will automatically re-download any corrupted or missing files.
4. Once the process completes, relaunch the game to check if the issue is fixed.

4. Enable Cross-Platform Play

If you try to join a lobby with players on other platforms while Cross-Platform Play is disabled, the game may fail to synchronize the lobby and you can be removed from the session. This can look similar to an EAC validation failure even if anti-cheat itself is not the direct cause. Enabling cross-play allows the game to match you with those players correctly and reduces these forced disconnects.

1. Open the game and click the Settings icon in the lobby.
2. Navigate to the Online tab and switch Cross-Play to ON.
3. Try joining a lobby again to verify if the problem is resolved.

5. Launch the Game Using Another Account

Sometimes, outdated or corrupted account tokens can prevent proper validation. If you have access to another account that can launch the game, signing in with that account forces Easy Anti-Cheat to request a fresh verification. After testing, you can switch back to your main account and check if the error is resolved.

1. Log out of your current account in the launcher.
2. Sign in with a different or your main account.
3. After signing in, launch the game again and check if the error no longer appears.

6. Delete Easy Anti-Cheat and Verify Game Files

Corrupted, outdated, or missing Easy Anti-Cheat components can trigger this error. If verifying the game files alone did not fix the problem, you can remove the existing EAC components and then verify the game again. This forces Steam to reinstall a clean copy of the anti-cheat modules.

1. Right-click the game in your Steam Library > Manage > Browse local files.
2. Delete all files or folders related to Easy Anti-Cheat.
3. Press Win + R and type %appdata%. If you see any folders related to Easy Anti-Cheat, delete them. If nothing appears there, also check C:\Program Files (x86)\EasyAntiCheat and C:\ProgramData\EasyAntiCheat and remove any leftover Easy Anti-Cheat files from those locations.
4. Open Steam again and verify the game files.
5. After verification completes, relaunch the game to check if the issue has been fixed.