Grounded 2 Multiplayer Not Working: Here’s What’s Happening and How to Fix It
If you’ve tried jumping into a multiplayer session in Grounded 2 lately, you’re probably stuck at a loading screen, staring at some error code, or getting tossed out before finding your online pals. Sound familiar? Based on both official channels and player chatter, multiplayer hiccups in Grounded 2 aren’t exactly rare right now—especially with the game still fresh in Early Access. For a title built on surviving the backyard together, this kind of bug can really ruin your night.
Let’s break down what’s really going on with Grounded 2’s multiplayer, what causes these problems, and (most importantly) what the community and developers are saying about possible fixes right now.
Grounded 2 Multiplayer Not Working
The main complaints all boil down to one thing—players can’t connect to friends for co-op, or they get kicked with weird errors. Some are seeing the “AuthenticateLocalUser Failed 6:36” message, while others just endlessly hang on the matchmaking screen.
Most of this comes down to a mix of Early Access teething problems, networking bugs, and sometimes just plain-old server overload. Especially after a new patch or during peak hours, it feels like half the playerbase is fighting some form of multiplayer outage. According to the Game8 guides, even password issues when joining a session can look like a full-blown technical error, which makes troubleshooting kind of a mess. The issue has now been resolved, and players can update the game to resume playing.
Players on Twitter keep asking, @werekaos "Grounded 2 has some major early bugs like game freezes in multiplayer, missing or glitched mounts, and backpacks getting stuck out of bounds. Still, it's a fun game with great potential!"
Other players on Twitter keep asking, @ItsRainify " Multiplayer isn't working for me on PC and my brother on Xbox. We’re both having issues connecting."
On X/Twitter, @GroundedTheGame, the official account shared a tweet like, Crossplay issues in Multiplayer Mode are known, but other multiplayer problems are fixed. Update to the latest version of Grounded 2 and report any further issues."
How to Fix Grounded 2 Multiplayer Not Working
Alright, so here’s what’s actually worth trying based on community experience and official recommendations:
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Restart your game AND device. Sometimes it’s just stuck, and a full reboot helps.
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Double-check your internet connection. Slow or unstable WiFi can make the game lose track of you.
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Make sure you all have the latest version installed—updates drop fast, and outdated builds don’t play well together.
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If playing cross-platform, add each other as friends on your main platform (Steam, Xbox, etc.), NOT just in-game.
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Enable crossplay via the main menu (more on that below).
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If you’re hosting, restart the world/server—authentication errors often clear up if the host resets.
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Double-check session passwords. “AuthenticateLocalUser Failed” can sometimes just mean a mistyped password for private lobbies.
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When all else fails, wait for a patch or check the official server status. Sometimes it really is just the servers being swamped.
How to Enable Crossplay in Grounded 2
One of the cool features—when it works—is crossplay between PC and Xbox. But it’s not automatic, and missing this step is a classic reason multiplayer falls apart.
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On the main menu, look for the “Enable Crossplay” prompt.
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You’ll need to sign into your Microsoft/Xbox account.
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On PC, hit F1 and follow the steps to log in.
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On console, just accept the sign-in prompts.
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Make sure all players enable crossplay and are logged into the right accounts.
What Makes Multiplayer Fail in Grounded 2?
It’s not just about servers or bugs—multiplayer in Grounded 2 is also affected by all the usual suspects: weak WiFi, NAT settings, outdated builds, and even those sneaky platform login mismatches. Sometimes the error looks more dire than it really is.
