Escape from Tarkov reports most problems in the Battlestate Games launcher as a numeric code. Below you will find what errors 206, 208, 214, 229, 230, 240 and 502 Bad Gateway mean, what to do when a download is stuck at 0/0 or the launcher complains about a checksum, and how to handle a ban. Every fix here comes from official BSG support and the developer diary on anticheat, with no unverified forum “fixes”. Valid as of 20 October 2026.
Launcher error codes and what to do
| Code | When it appears | What to do |
|---|---|---|
206 | wrong email or password at login | check your details or change your password; type them by hand rather than using a password manager |
208 | you are launching the game outside the region you bought it in | switch region via “Change region” in your profile |
214 | the Captcha was not filled in correctly | solve the Captcha again, turn off programs that change your network route and set system font scaling to 100% |
229 | your profile is blocked and has no access to services | contact BSG support (see below) |
230 | too many login attempts, temporary lock | the lock cannot be lifted; wait, check your details or reset your password |
240 | the account wants to verify your phone | enter your phone number and you will receive a code |
502 Bad Gateway | usually a temporary server problem | wait and follow the official channels; if it lasts a long time, try changing your DNS |
Error 208 and regions
Code 208 is tied to the region you bought the game in on the BSG website (Europe, CIS, Other, LATAM, CN). A copy bought in the Europe region launches anywhere in the world; the other regions are restricted. The region does not decide your servers, though: you play on whichever servers are available based on your ping. Do not use a VPN when buying on the website; BSG explicitly advises against it. There is more on regions and servers in our PvE Zone guide and in the support article Region access.
Downloading and installing
Download stuck at 0/0
If the download has not started within 3 to 5 minutes, stop it and start it again. This is the official BSG fix, so try it first.
Not enough disk space
The launcher first downloads the installation file to a temporary folder (by default BsgLauncherTemp) and only then unpacks it to the install location. A low disk space warning can therefore refer to the drive holding the temporary folder rather than the drive with the game. You can move the folder to a drive with free space in the launcher settings. How much space the game needs and what hardware it wants is covered in our system requirements guide.
Checksum does not match
When you see “Checksum does not match”, BSG recommends three steps:
- Give full permissions to the launcher and game folders.
- Temporarily disable your antivirus.
- Check the drive with
chkdsk D: /F /R, replacingD:with the letter of the drive the game is on.
The launcher cannot see the installed game
If the game is on your drive but the launcher does not offer to start it, open Game Settings and choose “Set the path to existing game installation”. Point it to the game folder and wait for the launcher to finish the integrity check.
General launcher fixes
When the launcher crashes or misbehaves without showing a specific code, BSG recommends three basic steps:
- Give full permissions to the launcher and game folders.
- Add them as antivirus exceptions, typically
C:Battlestate gamesBsgLauncherandC:Battlestate gamesEscape from Tarkov(if you installed elsewhere, use your own paths). - Run the launcher as administrator.
Steam: prompt to finish registration
The Steam version needs a Battlestate Games account linked to Steam. While playing through Steam you may get a prompt to finish your registration. Log in at profile.tarkov.com via “login via Steam” and fill in an email and password. The email must not belong to another BSG account, and some domains, such as Outlook, are not accepted. The differences between Steam and the BSG website are covered in our editions and prices guide.
How to report a bug, crash or cheater
BSG support uses a different channel for each type of problem:
- Technical errors and game crashes – the “Report bug” button in the launcher.
- Payments, account and a broken launcher – the form on the support website.
- Account access and security – email support@battlestategames.com, for these cases only.
- Cheaters – report them in-game only, via the player’s profile.
All the options are listed in the support article on contacting support. Technical trouble is nothing new: the IGN review after 1.0 mentions bugs, desync and cheaters, and GamesRadar+ mentions weaker performance and crashes.
Bans, BattlEye and BSG’s anticheat advice
If you have been banned and believe it was a mistake, BSG’s official FAQ points you to BattlEye support, where bans are appealed.
In its developer diary on anticheat from 9 April 2026, BSG said bans go out daily and added some advice on staying out of trouble:
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) and use a strong password.
- Redeem promo codes only on the official website or in the BSG launcher.
- Watch out for the common causes of bans: spoofers, sharing an account with a cheater, cheats for another game and malware on your PC.
In the same diary BSG mentioned what it is considering for the future: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, possibly also VBS, HVCI or IOMMU. For now this is only under consideration, not a requirement.
Join our Discord if a launcher error has you stuck or you are not sure which support channel to use: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
You are launching the game outside the region you bought it in on the BSG website. The fix is switching region via “Change region” in your profile. A copy bought for the Europe region launches anywhere in the world.
You entered the wrong email or password. Check your details, type them by hand without a password manager and change your password if needed.
It is usually a temporary server problem. Wait and follow the official BSG channels. If the error lasts a long time, try changing your DNS.
BSG’s official FAQ points to BattlEye support. Cheaters, on the other hand, are reported only in-game via the player’s profile.
Not as of 20 October 2026. BSG only listed them as a possible future step in its April 2026 developer diary.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are waiting in our Escape from Tarkov hub.