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Path of Exile 2 "received HTTP 403 while downloading" fix

Path of Exile 2 server status →Path of Exile 2 servers →

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IsThisGameDown

Last checked

September 23, 2026

poecommunity.help — Received HTTP 403 while downloading; pathofexile.com forum ↗

A game update or fresh install stalls partway through with "Received HTTP 403 while downloading" (sometimes shown simply as "Error HTTP 403"), and the download won't resume.

Also appears as: received http 403 while downloading, path of exile 2 error http 403, poe2 http 403 error, poe2 update stuck http 403, cant download poe2 update 403

HTTP 403 is a "Forbidden" response — GGG's download servers refusing the request, not a local file problem. This is a recurring failure mode for GGG's patch-delivery system rather than something new to Path of Exile 2: a GGG forum thread from 2018 describes the identical error hitting Path of Exile 1 across two separate league launches (Betrayal, then Synthesis), and it resurfaced during Path of Exile 2's Third Edict update, covered separately by gamepressure.com. A dedicated troubleshooting page for the error (poecommunity.help) states it's "sometimes caused by server-side issues which you will need to wait for GGG to fix" — consistent with a 403 being a server-issued rejection.

There's no single confirmed cause GGG has published, and no guarantee any one workaround fixes it for a given player rather than the outage simply clearing on GGG's end.

Operational

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What to try

  1. 01

    Run the launcher as Administrator, then retry the update

    Run the launcher/client as Administrator, then retry the update — cited by affected players as clearing a stalled 403 download.

    Reported
  2. 02

    Run PackCheck.exe to re-verify and re-request patch data

    Run PackCheck.exe from the game's install folder to re-verify and re-request the missing patch data rather than restarting the whole download.

    Reported
  3. 03

    Wait and retry later if it keeps failing

    If it keeps failing, treat it as a possible server-side block on GGG's end and simply wait and retry later rather than repeating the same download attempt.

    Unconfirmed
  4. 04

    Install or update through the Epic Games Store as a last resort

    As a last resort, install or update through the Epic Games Store client instead of the standalone/Steam version — some players report the download completing there when the other client kept 403'ing.

    Reported

Did this fix it for you?

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What people are saying

Notes from players who've hit this one — no time limit, an answer from months ago is still an answer.

  • Nothing reported here yet.
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