If you’re playing Path of Exile 2 and suddenly encounter the frustrating “Unable to Deserialise Packet” error, you’re not alone. This error has been popping up for players, cutting adventures short and leaving many scratching their heads. While it’s always a bummer to face technical hiccups mid-game, don’t worry we’re here to break it down for you and also share some effective fixes.
The “Unable to deserialise packet with PID 18516” error in Path of Exile 2 has been causing crashes to the desktop, especially when loading into maps. This issue, likely tied to server or network communication problems, leaves the game unable to process certain data packets. Interestingly, similar deserialisation errors were a recurring problem in Path of Exile 1. Anyway, now you might be wondering whether there is a fix for it, right? More details on this are shared below.
Path of Exile 2 Unable to Deserialise Packet Error: Is there any fix yet
There’s been no official acknowledgment or fixes for the “Unable to deserialise packet” issue in Path of Exile 2 just yet. However, players across various online forums and discussion threads have shared potential solutions to help mitigate the problem. To save you the hassle of digging through endless posts, we’ve compiled a list of these fixes below—give them a try and see if they work for you!
Basic Checks
The first things to try are restarting your PC, running the game as an administrator, and verifying the game files. Restart the system and run the game with admin privileges by right-clicking on the game’s .exe and clicking on the run as admin option. Next up, try verifying the game files through your Steam by again right-clicking on the game from your Steam library, selecting the Properties section, and then accessing the Installed Files tab. Once verified, check whether the issue persists. If yes, try the next workaround.
Antivirus
One potential workaround involves checking for interference from antivirus or firewall programs. If you have software like Malwarebytes or similar, put the game in the antivirus exception list. Now, even if the game folder is on the allow list, try temporarily disabling the antivirus or firewall entirely to see if it resolves the issue.
Internet Connection
To address the “Unable to deserialise packet” error in Path of Exile 2, make sure your internet connection is stable. Switch to an Ethernet connection if you’re currently using Wi-Fi, as it offers more reliability. If possible, try switching to a different network to see if the issue persists. If none of these steps work, contact your internet service provider (ISP) to check for packet loss or connectivity issues that might be interfering with data transmission from GGG’s servers.
VPN and DNS
Since this Unable to deserialise packet error in Path of Exile 2 is a network-related issue, consider using a VPN or changing your DNS settings. If you do not usually use a VPN, install it and try out different regions to see if that fixes the issue. You can also try switching to a faster or more reliable DNS, like Google’s (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare’s (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1), which may improve connection quality and reduce packet loss. To apply this change, right-click the network icon in the taskbar, select “Open Network & Internet Settings,” then click “Change adapter settings.” Right-click your active network connection, select “Properties,” and choose “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).” Select “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter the DNS values mentioned.
Update/Reinstall
Lastly, keep your game, GPU drivers, and Windows up to date at all times! You can update the game through the platform you use, update your GPU drivers via the manufacturer’s website (such as NVIDIA or AMD), and check for the latest Windows updates in your system settings. After installing the latest versions of all these programs, launch the game to see if you still run into this error. However, if nothing works out, consider reinstalling the game altogether.
We hope that one of these workarounds did the trick for you and that you were able to play the game without any further errors. That is all for this guide but do bookmark DigiStatement for more daily gaming content. Also, click here to find out how to fix the blurry texture issue that some are facing in Path of Exile 2.
