Hytale Server Error: “Server session token not available – cannot request auth grant”
Overview
When starting a Hytale server, you may see the following error in the server console:
Server session token not available - cannot request auth grant
When this occurs, the server will start but immediately reject player connections. This happens when the server has not yet been authenticated with a Hytale account.
This article explains why the error occurs and how to fix it using Hytale’s device authentication flow.
Symptoms
Typical log output looks like this:
[HandshakeHandler] Server session token not available - cannot request auth grant
Server authentication unavailable - please try again later
Players will be unable to connect while this error is present.
Cause
Hytale servers must authenticate against a valid Hytale account before they can create a server session token.
This error appears if:
- The server has never been authenticated, or
- The server was authenticated previously but credentials were not persisted and were lost on restart
Without a session token, the server cannot request an authentication grant and will refuse connections.
Game server providers like LOW.MS typically handle this authentication automatically. However, if you are running your own server instance, you will need to authenticate it manually.
Solution: Authenticate the Server
Step 1: Start the Server
Start your Hytale server as normal and wait for it to finish booting.
The authentication error may already appear at this stage — this is expected.
Step 2: Run the Device Login Command
In the server console, run:
/auth login device
The console will display a device authorisation prompt similar to:
Visit: https://oauth.accounts.hytale.com/oauth2/device/verify
Enter code: JuXnmQxD
Step 3: Authorise via Browser
- Open the verification URL shown in the console
- Log in with your Hytale account
- Enter the displayed code if prompted
- Approve the authorisation request
Once completed, the server will authenticate automatically.
You should see logs similar to:
Authentication successful! Mode: OAUTH_DEVICE
Successfully created game session
At this point, the server is authenticated for the current runtime only.
Step 4: Persist Authentication (Required)
To ensure the authentication survives server restarts, run:
/auth persistence Encrypted
You should see confirmation such as:
Credential storage changed to: Encrypted
Loaded encrypted credentials from auth.enc
This stores credentials securely and prevents the error from returning after a restart.
Verification
You can confirm the authentication state at any time with:
/auth status
An authenticated server will report an active session and credential store.
Want a Trouble-Free Setup?
If you would rather avoid manual authentication, command-line setup, and server management entirely, you can order a fully managed Hytale server from LOW.MS.
With LOW.MS:
- Server authentication is handled automatically
- Credentials are securely persisted for you
- Servers are preconfigured and ready to join
- No manual console commands are required
This is the simplest option if you want a reliable, low-maintenance Hytale server without dealing with setup issues or future authentication changes.
Summary
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start the server |
| 2 | Run /auth login device |
| 3 | Authorise in browser |
| 4 | Run /auth persistence Encrypted |
| 5 | Restart safely |
Still Seeing the Error?
If the error persists:
- Confirm the Hytale account login completed successfully
- Ensure the server has outbound internet access
- Check that
auth.encexists and is writable - Restart the server after persisting credentials
If you continue to have issues, contact LOW.MS support and include your full server startup logs.