Last Epoch launched version 1.0 of its game today.
As with game releases such as Helldivers 2 and during the opening day of Destiny 2 DLC, this major launch has led to an influx of players trying to access the game’s servers. The large number of simultaneous connections is causing errors like LE-61 that prevent players from properly matchmaking and accessing online content.
As I was up at 4am Sydney time for the launch, I can say this was a disappointing outcome, although definitely not unexpected.
As we write this, the development team at EHG is working to stabilize and scale up Last Epoch’s servers to handle the user traffic.
We are seeing server-connections improve from where they were earlier but they’re still spotty. We’re hard at work on improving the online experience and eliminating the errors that are still cropping up (Like LE-61). I just want to say that I sincerely apologize for anyone who was really looking forward to playing online today without issues. We sincerely thought we were over-prepared and today would go differently, but it’s always something that you don’t expect.
We will continue to improve stability tonight and throughout the week to ensure that you guys are able to play without the frustration. For those wanting to avoid the online issues for now the full-offline mode is available when launching the game.
EHG_Kain – Last Epoch Forum
In the meantime, they have identified some workarounds like using Steam to enter full offline mode. This grants access to offline features, but lacks online chat, bug reporting and other functionality. In this guide, we look at all the differences between Last Epoch’s Offline and Online modes.
What Is Last Epoch’s Offline Mode?
Last Epoch features an offline mode separate from its online servers. Players can access offline mode directly from the main menu without an internet connection.
The offline and online servers do not allow direct character transfers between one another. Creating a character offline will keep them isolated on that offline server.
Within offline mode, hardcore characters can be made just like online. These offline hardcore heroes stay permanently hardcore until the character dies and converts to a normal offline character.
Offline characters can participate in challenges like the Solo Character run. However, restrictions still apply to challenges – gear cannot be freely swapped between offline solo characters.
While direct online-offline transfers are prohibited, offline characters can create legacy characters. Legacy offline heroes share access to a common stash allowing some item transfer with previously made offline warriors.
Key Differences Between Offline and Online Modes
- Offline characters cannot access any of the multiplayer features, such as co-op and trading.
- Offline characters can’t compete for leaderboard spots.
- Bug Report and Support Ticket buttons are unavailable in offline mode. These online features are removed.
- Chat still displays, but item linking between players is disabled with no online connectivity.
- The Region Selection dropdown shows as unavailable while offline. Server selection is online-only.
- The online character tab does not appear on the character select screen. Only local offline characters can be viewed.
- After selecting Play Offline mode, players cannot freely return to the Landing Zone page. The offline server persists.
- Switching between offline and online requires a full application restart. Players cannot smoothly transition servers without reloading the game.
While the wait to play online continues, Last Epoch’s offline mode presents opportunities to try out builds and prepare for bringing future characters online. I’ll be treating it like a sandbox mode for my new elemental nova Sorcerer.
