How to Fix Apex Legends ‘Out of sync with server’ Error?

The ‘Out of Sync’ error is a prevalent error message that Apex Legends players typically get after being disconnected from the game server without a prior warning. This problem is confirmed to occur on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S / X.

Out of Sync error when playing Apex Legends

As it turns out, this problem has multiple potential causes. We’ve investigated various user reports that were all struggling with the same issue and we’ve discovered a list of potential culprits that might be responsible for causing the ‘Out of Sync’ error:

  • Date glitch – Perhaps the most common scenario that will trigger this error when players attempt to connect to the main game server is the date glitch. This occurs when the game server expects different date & time parameters than the one given by the PC or console. In this case, you should be able to avoid the error entirely by moving the date & time forward a few days.
  • Corrupted Netparam file (PC Only) – If you’re experiencing this issue while playing on PC, the first thing you should do is delete the Netparams file from the temp folder of the Apex Legends assets folder. This will resolve every occurrence where the error is caused due to a bad network parameter.
  • Outdated login token (PC Only) – In case you’re experiencing this issue at the initial game screen (when it tries to connect to the game server), chances are you’re dealing with an expired Origin or Steam token (depending on which launcher you’re using). In this case, you should be able to fix the problem simply by logging out and back into your Origin or Steam account.
  • Game File Integrity issue – As it turns out, this problem can also occur due in those scenarios where some game files or associated game dependencies are affected by corruption. To fix this issue, you’ll need to trigger a game validation procedure on Steam or Origin (depending on which launcher you’re using).
  • Corrupted DNS cache – If you were assigned a bad DNS range and you’re experiencing this error sporadically, you might be able to fix the problem and make the game a lot more stable by flushing the DNS cache in order to make way for a brand new DNS range. This method is exclusive to PC users.
  • Router inconsistency – Some users that were also dealing with this problem have confirmed that the issue was finally fixed after they restarted or reset their router. This will allow you to fix the majority of network inconsistencies facilitated by a temporary file generated by your network connection.
  • QoS Feature is Enabled – If you have the QoS (Quality of Service) feature enabled on your router settings, chances are it’s going to conflict with Apex Legends as it does with the majority of games released by EA. In this case, you’ll need to disable this feature from your router settings before you’ll be able to play the game in a stable manner.

Now that we went over every potential root cause of this annoying Apex Legends error code, let’s go over several common fixes that other users that we’re also dealing with this problem have successfully used to make their gameplay stable once again.

1. Change the Date and Time (PC and Consoles)

This might seem like a weird fix, but it’s actually one of the most effective repair strategies for users encountering the ‘Out of Sync’ error when playing Apex legends.

As it turns out, you might be faced with this error if the game expects an older date than the one given by the console or the PC connected to Apex Legends. This is a glitch on the developer’s side (one that they’ve been unable to fix since the game was in Beta).

Fortunately, Apex Legends gamers have discovered a fix that seems to work for both consoles and PC; changing the date & time of the console or PC experiencing this issue a few days ahead.

This fix is confirmed to work on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Since the steps of doing so will be different depending on which platform you’re using, we’ve created a series of sub-guides that should help enforce this fix regardless of the platform where you’re playing Apex Legends from.

Follow the sub-guide that’s applicable to you:

Change the Date & Time on PC

If you’re experiencing this issue on PC, you can enforce this fix by accessing the Date & Time menu. The steps below should work on every recent Windows version.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Next, type ‘timedate.cpl’ and press Enter to open up the Date & Time menu.
    Open up the Date & Time menu
  2. Once you’re inside the Date & Time menu, select the Date & Time tabu, then click on the Change date & Time button.
    Click on the Change Date & Time menu
  3. When you’re prompted by the User Account Control, click Yes to grant admin access.
  4. From the Date and Time Settings menu, select a forward date (preferably 2 days ahead) and click Ok to save the changes.
    Changing the date and time on PC
  5. Click Apply to save the changes, then open Apex legends once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

Change the Date & Time on PS4

To change the date & time on PS4, you’ll need to access the Date and Time Settings menu and change the date & time retrieval to Manual.

Here are the step-by-step instructions that will show you how to change the date & time on Playstation 4:

  1. Ensure that Apex Legends is closed and not running in the background.
  2. From the home screen of your PS4 console, swipe upwards, then cycle through the different options and access the Settings menu.
    Access the Settings menu
  3. Once you’re inside the Settings menu, cycle down and access the Date & Time menu.
    Access the Date & Time menu
  4. From the Date & Time menu, select Date and Time Settings.
    Access the Date & Time settings
  5. From the next menu, choose Set Manually, then use the next interface to set a forward date and time (preferably 2 days ahead).
    Set a forward Date & Time
  6. Once this modification has been made, open Apex Legends once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

Change the Date & Time on Ps5

If you’re already on PS5 (lucky you), the process of changing the date & time is a little different since the Date & Time menu is hidden under System for Sony’s next-gen system.

Follow the instructions below to change the date & time on PS5:

  1. First things first, ensure that the game (Apex Legends) is not open and running in the background.
  2. From the home screen of your PlayStation 5 system, use the left joystick to select the settings icon (top-right section) and press the X button to access it.
    Accessing the Settings menu on PS5
  3. Once you’re inside the Settings screen, cycle down through the different options and access the System menu.
    Access the System menu on Ps5
  4. Once you’re inside the System menu, use the vertical menu on the left to select Date and Time, then move over to the right-hand side menu and access the Set Date and Time menu.
    Setting the Date and Time menu on PS5
  5. From the next Set Date and Time menu, choose Set Manually.
  6. Use the next interface to set the date a few days ahead, then hit Ok to save the changes.
    Change the Date & Time on PS5
  7. Launch Apex Legends once again and see if the ‘Out of Sync’ error is now fixed.

Change the Date & Time on Xbox One & Xbox Series X / S

If you’re experiencing this issue on your Xbox One or Xbox Series S / X console, the good news is the steps of enforcing this date & time fix are basically identical.

Follow the instructions below to change the date & time on Xbox One or Xbox Series X / S console:

  1. Start by ensuring that Apex Legends is closed and it’s not running in the background.
  2. Next, use the home screen of your Xbox One or Xbox Series X / S console to access the Settings menu.
    Accessing the Settings menu
  3. From the Settings menu, use the vertical menu on the left to select System, then move over to the right-hand section of the screen and access the Time menu.
    Access the Time menu on your Xbox One or Xbox Series S / X console
  4. From the System Time menu, start by unchecking the box associated with Automatically adjust for daylight saving, then access the Time and Date boxes individually and change them to a forward date before saving the changes.
    Change the System time menu
  5. Once the date & time has been adjusted, launch Apex Legends once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

If you’re still experiencing the Out of Sync error when playing Apex Legends even after enforcing this date & time fix, move down to the next method below.

2. Delete the Netparams file (PC Only)

If the date & time fix explained above was not effective in your case, the next thing you should troubleshoot against is a network issue facilitated by a file that holds the majority of network parameters used by the game (netparams).

Several affected users that we’re also encountering the Out of Sync error when the game was trying to connect to the game server have reported that the problem was finally fixed once they accessed the temp folder of the game and deleted the netparams file.

Note: Deleting the “netparams” file fill not produce any underlying effect on your game installation. This is a temporary file that can be safely deleted.

If you’re looking for specific instructions on deleting the netparams file, follow the instructions below:

  1. Ensure that Apex Legends or it’s launcher (Steam or Origin) is not open and running in the background.
  2. On the affected PC, open File Explorer.
  3. Use File Explorer to navigate to the following location:
    C:\Users\*USERNAME*\Saved Games\Respawn\Apex\assets\temp

    Note: Keep in mind that *USERNAME* is simply a placeholder – replace it with your actual username.

  4. Once you’re finally inside the temp folder of Apex Legends, right-click on the netparams file and choose Delete from the context menu that just appeared.
    Deleting the netparams file of Apex Legends
  5. Restart your PC and launch Apex Legends once again (after the next startup) and see if the problem is now fixed.

If you’re still experiencing the Out of Sync error, move down to the next potential fix below.

3. Log Out and back into Steam / Origin

As it turns out, this particular issue can also occur due to an expired or partially corrupted login token. There is no official explanation on why this problem is so prevalent on PC, but affected users suspect that you might expect the Out of Sync error when connecting to Apex Legends severe due to an expired login token.

Fortunately, this particular issue can be resolved swiftly (on both Steam and Origin) simply by logging out and back into the launcher before restarting the game.

Several affected users have confirmed that this operation finally allowed them to join an online match without experiencing the same kind of issue.

Follow one of the sub-guides below (depending on if you’re using Steam or Origin to launch Apex Legends) to refresh the login token and fix the apparition of the Out of Sync error:

Refresh the login token on Steam

If you’re experiencing this issue when launching Apex Legends from Steam, you should ensure that the game is updated before starting to follow the instructions below.

Here’s how to log out and back into your Steam account to fix the Out of Sync error:

  1. Open Steam and click on your account name (top-right corner).
  2. Next, from the context menu that just appeared, click on Log out of account.
    Log out of your Steam account
  3. At the confirmation prompt, click the Logout button to complete the operation.
  4. By default, Steam will auto-close itself once you hit the logout button. Open it back again and insert your user credentials (account name and password) before clicking on Login to sign back in.
    Sign back into Steam
  5. Once you’re signed back in, launch Apex Legends once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

Refresh the login token on Origin

If you’re using Origin to launch Apex Legends, you’ll need to log out of it by using the ribbon menu at the top to access the Origin menu and sign out of your account.

Here is the step by step instructions on refreshing the Origin login token used rejected by Apex Legends when you see the Out of Sync error:

  1. Open Origin (or bring it forward if it’s running in the background) and click on Origin from the ribbon bar at the top.
  2. Next, click on Sign out from the Origin context menu that just appeared.
    Sign out of Origin
  3. Wait until the log-out procedure is complete, then use the Origin login screen that just appeared to reinsert the login credentials (email and password) before clicking on Sign in to log back into Origin.
    Sign in to Origin
  4. Once you’re signed back into Origin, launch Apex Origin once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

If the problem is still not fixed (even after you signed out and back into your game launcher),

4. Validate the Steam or Origin files (if applicable)

You can try validating the game’s files in order to fix the ‘Out of Sync’ error. You can do this from the Steam or Origin application, depending on where you have installed the game from.

Note: This method will only work if you are encountering an error on your PC and you are using one of the two launchers covered in this article (Steam or Origin).

Here are the specific guides on how to verify the integrity of the game’s files, depending on the platform you are using:

Deploy a Steam Integrity Check

Follow the next steps to see how to verify the integrity of the Apex Legends files on Steam:

  1. Open the Steam application and click on Library to visit the library where you have all the games, then locate Apex Legends.
    Access the Library menu
  2. Now right-click on the game and click on Properties to open the options menu of the game.
    Access the Properties menu of the game
  3. Inside the Properties menu, click on the Local files section from the upper side, then click on Verify integrity of game files.

    Verify the integrity of the game
  4. Confirm the process, then wait until it’s complete. In case you have some missing files or harmed ones, they will be replaced or repaired.

Deploy an Origin Integrity Check

In case you have installed the game via Origin, follow the next steps to see how to verify the integrity of the files:

  1. Open Origin and go to the games library by clicking on My Game Library.
    Access the My Game Library
  2. Now locate the Apex Legends game and click on it. Then click on the gear icon next to the button Play and click on Update Game.

    Update the game (Apex Legends)
  3. Confirm the verify of the integrity process, then wait until it’s complete.
  4. Once it’s complete, files that were harmed are replaced or repaired.

In case this method wasn’t helpful, check below the next one.

Flush the DNS cache (PC Only)

Some affected users have managed to fix the ‘Out of Sync’ Apex Legends error by flushing the DNS cache.

If you don’t know what this process does, it clears any IP addresses or other DNS records from your cache, so your computer re-fetches new combinations whenever it needs and stores them in the local cache.

Note: This method will only work if the error occurs on your PC.

Here are the steps you need to follow to flush your DNS:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box and type ‘cmd’, then press CTRL + Shift + Enter to open the Command Prompt with administrator privileges.
    Open a CMD prompt
  2. You will be prompted by the User Account Control to allow this app to make changes on your computer, click on Yes to allow.
  3. Inside the Command Prompt, insert these following commands and press Enter after each other:
    ipconfig /flushdns
    ipconfig /registerdns
    ipconfig /release
    ipconfig /renew
    netsh winsock reset
  4. After that, reboot your PC and wait until it boots back, then test the game to see if you still encounter the ‘Out of Sync’ Apex Legends Error.

If this method didn’t fix your error, go to the next one.

Restart or Reset Router

This error might be also caused by some kind of network inconsistency that is not letting the game work properly. This can be fixed by either restarting or resetting your router.

In this case, the issues caused by a network inconsistency could be resolved by forcing a network refresh. You can start with a simple network restart because this is less destructive than a network reset – it will let you reset your network components without making any changes to your network credentials and settings.

You can perform a router reset by simply pressing the dedicated restart button, or pressing the ON/OFF button twice if the first option is not available. You can also simply disconnect the power cable from the power outlet for an easier method.

Restarting your router

If you’ve done this and it didn’t work, you can go for a router reset. But before doing that, keep in mind that depending on your network equipment, this process will also reset your custom credentials and the default address of your router.

Note: In most cases, both the logins will be reverted back to admin (for both username and password).

To perform a router reset you need to simply push the reset button and keep it pressed for at least 10 seconds.

Reset your router

You might need a toothpick or a similar pointy small object to reach the Reset button, but it depends on your router model. As soon as the procedure is complete, the LEDs on the router will start blinking intermittently.

In case you’ve done both the procedures above and you still encounter the ‘Out of Sync’ Apex Legends Error, check below the last method.

Disable Download / Upload QoS Settings on your Router

The last thing you can try is to fix the disable the QoS Settings on your router. The QoS is used to set up priority to specific devices, services, or applications within the network through the router.

Here are the steps on how to disable the QoS settings on your router:

  1. You need a PC or Mac that it’s connected to the network maintained by your router. Now type one of the following addresses inside the navigation bar, then press Enter to access your Router settings menu:
    192.168.0.1
    192.168.1.1

    Note: In case none of these generic addresses work, search online for specific steps on accessing your router settings.

  2. After you arrive at the login screen, go ahead and type on your login credentials. In case it’s the first time accessing this menu, you should be able to sign in with the default credentials (admin as user and 1234 as password).
    Accessing your router settings

    Note: The default credentials might be different from one router manufacturer to another, so search online for the default login credentials according to your router model if these are incorrect.

  3. Now go to the Advanced settings, then select QoS and search for the option, then make sure to uncheck the box to disable the option.
    Enabling QoS

    Note: The menu might vary depending on your router manufacturer, be the instructions should be helpful in any case. If you don’t manage to find the setting, search online for specific steps for your router model.

  4. Now you need to test the game to see if you still encounter the ‘Out of Sync’ Apex Legends Error.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kamil Anwar


Kamil is a certified MCITP, CCNA (W), CCNA (S) and a former British Computer Society Member with over 9 years of experience Configuring, Deploying and Managing Switches, Firewalls and Domain Controllers also an old-school still active on FreeNode.