RotMG Exalt launcher not working?

Stuck on “Preparing Update”

The launcher can't write the game into Documents\RealmOfTheMadGod\Production. Usually Documents is synced by OneDrive, or the Production folder is damaged.

1. Close the launcher. Search Windows for the RealmOfTheMadGod folder. If it is inside OneDrive\Documents, move it out to your local Documents and delete the copy left in OneDrive.
2. Still stuck: rename the Production folder to anything except “Testing” and open the launcher again.
3. Delete the new Production folder the launcher creates.
4. In the launcher click the gear in the top left → Remove Build, then press Play → Update.
5. Install pending Windows updates and restart. On Steam: right-click the game → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity; reinstall if that fails.

No official article covers this error. Steps from a fix passed on from the official Discord and confirmed by about six players in this Steam thread (Dec 2024 – Apr 2025), plus this one.

“Build not exist in the current location. You need to download build again”

The game can't find its downloaded files in Documents\RealmOfTheMadGod.

1. Check that Production and Testing exist in Documents\RealmOfTheMadGod, and that the launcher has Production selected.
2. Uninstall older versions, delete both folders, reinstall and press Update. If it still fails, switch the launcher to Testing and back to Production and update again.
3. Try the launcher's gear → Remove Build, pause your antivirus, and untick “Run as administrator” on RotMG Exalt.exe.
4. Steam with no folders at all: uninstall from Steam, install the standalone launcher, log in and update so the files land in Documents, then reinstall on Steam and start from Steam.
5. Spaces or special characters in your Windows user name break the path. Last resort: create a new Windows user with only Latin letters A–Z in the name and play from it.

Official: Windows, Mac. Step 3 from the RealmEye troubleshooting guide.

Stuck on the loading screen

1. Press Update in the bottom right of the launcher.
2. Flush DNS. Windows: open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. Mac: in Terminal run sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
3. Pick a different server in your region.
4. Start the game through the launcher, not by double-clicking the exe.
5. On Steam, verify the game files, then reinstall if needed.
6. If you were just disconnected, wait 10 minutes: there is an anti-abuse timer.

Official: Windows, Mac. Steps 4 and 6 from the RealmEye guide.

An error message appears and the game closes

Most often the graphics driver.

1. Uninstall the game.
2. Delete AppData\LocalLow\DECA Live Operations GmbH and Documents\RealmOfTheMadGod\Production.
3. Reinstall your graphics driver and restart.
4. Run at your monitor's native resolution. On laptops with two graphics cards, force the dedicated one for the game. Turn off GPU extras like “enhanced sync” and reset any overclock.
5. Exclude the game from your antivirus and reinstall.

Official: support.rotmg.com.

Steam authorization error

No official article. These steps worked for some players on Steam; try them in order.

1. Quit Steam completely, start it again and verify the game files.
2. Open the standalone Exalt launcher once.
3. Delete AppData\LocalLow\DECA Live Operations GmbH and Documents\RealmOfTheMadGod\Production, then start the game and wait for the Update prompt.
4. Wait 10 minutes and try again.

Community: Steam thread 1, Steam thread 2.

“Account in use”

The server still holds your previous session, usually after a crash or disconnect.

1. Close every copy of the game in Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac).
2. Wait up to 10 minutes and log in again.
3. If it appears when you enter a realm, press retry to go back to the Nexus or switch servers.

Community: RealmEye forum.

Stuck on Testing / “You can't download this build”

1. Windows: press Win+R, run regedit, open HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DECA Live Operations GmbH and delete every key inside it. Keep the DECA Live Operations GmbH key itself. This also resets your game settings.
2. Mac: delete ~/Library/Preferences/com.decagames.RealmOfTheMadGodExalt.plist and com.decagames.RealmOfTheMadGodExaltLauncher.plist.

Official: Windows, Mac.

IP banned, IP cooldown, account under maintenance

“Your IP has been temporarily banned”: close the game, log out of the launcher completely and log back in. Official

IP cooldown: your IP address changes too often. Use a stable connection or open a ticket if you play from different places. Official

“Account under maintenance”: according to support this most likely means the account is banned; contact support. Official

Where Exalt keeps its files

Nothing helped? Open a ticket at support.rotmg.com or ask in the official RotMG Discord.