Halloween: The Game "Failed to gather initial metadata"
Logging in sticks on "Backend Authentication", drops you into a queue whose number keeps changing, and after the wait ends with "Failed to gather initial metadata" instead of the main menu.
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"Failed to gather initial metadata" is a login-time error. It shows up after the "Backend Authentication" step and the login queue, so the failure looks like it is between your client and IllFonic's backend, not in a broken install. That is our reading, because IllFonic hasn't explained the message.
Three Steam Discussions threads from September 4 to 10 report it. One poster had verified files, restarted Steam, the PC and Epic Online Services, and tried a mobile hotspot without luck, while a family member could log in from a different internet connection. Reports so far come mostly from players in Russia.
No developer reply has named the message, and the Patch 1.1.0 notes (October 6) don't mention it.
No problems reported in the last 15 minutes.
Is Halloween: The Game down right now? Live reports →What to try
- 01Unconfirmed
Restart the game and install the latest patch (unconfirmed)
Fully restart the game and your platform client and make sure you are on the latest patch. Patch 1.1.0 (October 6) doesn't mention this error, so nobody has shown it helps, but it rules out an old build.
- 02Reported
File checks, restarts and a mobile hotspot didn't help one poster
The poster of the September 10 Steam thread had verified game files, restarted Steam, the PC and Epic Online Services, and tried a mobile hotspot, and the error stayed. Treat these as ruled-out leads rather than fixes.
- 03Reported
No confirmed fix yet
IllFonic hasn't replied in any of the three threads and hasn't named this message in a post or patch note, so there is no confirmed fix. If it persists, contact IllFonic support (htghelpdesk@illfonic.com) with the exact error text, platform, region and time.
- 04Unconfirmed
See the Backend Authentication error page
The same login sequence also produces the backend authentication page's error. Check it, and the live status page (/halloween-the-game/), for any wider login outage.
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