Red Dead Redemption 2 fails to activate and gives an ACTIVATION REQUIRED error for some users. This issue is common and very frustrating, as Red Dead Redemption 2 is not a free game. This post will discuss this issue and see what you need to do if you get the Red Dead Redemption 2 Offline Activation error.

ACTIVATION REQUIRED
Verifying game ownership failed and your offline activation data could not be loaded.
Please ensure your internet is connected and restart Red Dead Redemption 2.
If this issue persists, please contact please contact Rockstar Games Customer Support at https://support.rockstargames.com.

Fix Red Dead Redemption 2 Offline Activation error

If you encounter a Red Dead Redemption 2 Offline Activation Failed error, follow the solutions mentioned below to resolve the issue.

1. Restart the computer and try again
2. Run another game before launching Red Dead Redemption 2
3. Force Rockstar Games Launcher to remember your account
4. Launch the game with administrative privileges
5. Switch to Google DNS
6. Contact Rockstar Games Support

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] Restart the computer and try again

Restart the game and see if it loads without any error this time. Sometimes, it fails to fetch all the required files, due to which it is not loading. When we restart the game, we allow it to load all the required files simultaneously. However, if you still get this error, reboot your PC and the router and then launch the game from Steam.

2] Run another game before launching Red Dead Redemption 2

Let us try a workaround that RDR’s support is recommending to a lot of users. This is a pretty simple solution, all you need to do is open another game such as Minecraft and Slay the Spire, and then open RDR.

3] Force Rockstar Games Launcher to remember your account

The error message indicates that your Social Club account does not have sufficient permissions to play the game, possibly due to authentication details such as Social Club account cookies in the AppData folder.

To resolve it, you need to sign in to the account and then check the Remember me or Keep me signed in option to stay logged in. After attempting to activate Red Dead Redemption 2, check if the activation error persists.

4] Launch the game with administrative privileges

If RDR is not launching, right-click on the game or the launcher’s shortcut and select Run as administrator. Once the UAC prompt appears, click on Yes. It will allow the game to access all the required files without any lack of privileges. Hopefully, this will do the trick for you.

5] Switch to Google DNS

We will get an activation error due to issues related to DNS. The one provided by your ISP is not always consistent, hence, we need to switch to the one provided by Google to resolve this issue. It’s free and pretty easy. You can follow the steps mentioned below to switch to Google DNS.

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Change View by to Large icons.
3. Click on Network and Sharing Center.
4. Click on the connected network placed next to Connections.
5. Go to Properties.
6. You then have to click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
7. Check the box associated with Use the following DNS server addresses and then give the following inputs.
   • Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
   • Alternative DNS server: 8.8.4.4
8. Finally, click on Apply > Ok.

Hopefully, this should do the job for you.

6] Contact Rockstar Games Support

If nothing worked, we need to contact Rockstar Games Support and ask them to resolve the issue. For that, go to support.rockstargames.com and click on Red Dead Redemption 2. Then click on Connectivity > PC > Contact Us. Submit all your grievances and ask them to rectify as soon as possible.

Hopefully, you can resolve the issue using the solutions mentioned in this post.

Read: Can’t install Red Dead Redemption Story Mode

How do I fix Red Dead 2 activation error?

Red Dead 2 activation error can be resolved by following the solutions mentioned here. You should first reboot your computer and if that is to no avail, you need to follow the other solutions mentioned in this post.

Read: Fix Red Dead Redemption ERR_GFX_STATE Error

How do I fix Red Dead Online error?

If you get a Red Dead Online error, open a game another game such as Minecraft, and then open RDR. It is a workaround that works for a lot of users. You can also reboot your computer and open RDR with Steam as that is another workaround that can do the job for you.

Also Read: Red Dead Redemption not Launching or Starting full screen.