Here’s How To Solve the “Game Time Required” Error in WoW Classic

World of Warcraft has accumulated countless fans, with tons of dedicated players logging in each day. However, new WoW Classic players or players returning from a break may encounter the “Game Time Required” error, making it impossible to log in – fortunately, this error is relatively easy to resolve.

“Game Time Required” Error Explained (WOW51900331)

The “Game Time Required” or “Active Game Time Required” error is a common issue among WoW Classic players. It’s mostly encountered by players who have taken a lengthy break from the game or by players who are brand new.

To successfully log into WoW Classic servers, players need to have an active subscription linked to their account, or they will need to purchase game time for the account in question. Adding game time through a subscription will allow players to play past level 20 in Modern WoW while being able to play WoW Classic and Wrath Classic without any limitations.

What’s important to note with WoW subscriptions and added game time is that the purchase does not apply to the player’s Battle.net account on a broad scale. The subscription or game time will only apply to the WoW account that it has been purchased for.

Accounts will be listed with “Subscription Expired” if they are not active or be listed as “Inactive” if the account doesn’t have any available game time. Using inactive accounts will result in this error message, so players will need to ensure they’re always using the correct account.

How to Fix the “Game Time Required” Error in WoW Classic

Players have found that the most common reason for the error is simply not having an active subscription to their WoW Classic account. As such, the most reliable way for a player to resolve the problem is to add game time or make sure that their subscription is up and running.

New players may still need to get their subscription going, while returning players may find that their subscription is expired. Follow the simple steps below to activate your WoW Classic subscription and gain access to WoW Classic servers.

1. Log into your Battle.net launcher.
2. Click on the “Subscription Expired” Button, which should be located on the bottom left of the screen.
3. This button will navigate the player to their “Account Information.”
4. Follow the given prompts to pay for a WoW Classic subscription.
5. Return to WoW Classic after the order is complete, and log in again.

Players can only enjoy WoW Classic if they have game time or have paid the subscription fee for the month – unfortunately, there is no free option. A WoW Classic subscription is billed monthly, so players can cancel their subscription after the initial payment is complete if they’d like to avoid automatic charges going forward.

While making the payment is easy, it may not have immediate results – it can take up to 24 hours for the order to be processed and be listed as “Complete”, depending on the payment method used. Players can check up on the status of their order by navigating to their Transaction History (if no order is listed or the player’s order is listed as “failed,” it means that the payment didn’t go through).

It’s relatively affordable since longer subscriptions are cheaper, but it’s still quite a lot of money for players who do not play much or take breaks here and there. A once-off WoW subscription costs $15 – canceling the subscription after the order is complete will still ensure access to WoW Classic servers for a month from that point, and players can simply repeat the process whenever they’d like to get into WoW Classic again.

Alternatively, players can simply add game time through Blizzard Balance, as seen in the video below thanks to Sunxip.

This can be a great method for players who do not want to purchase a WoW subscription plan. However, players will not get some of the extras that are rewarded by purchasing subscriptions.

Solving the “Game Time Required” Error with an Active Subscription

A more pressing issue among WoW Classic fans is this error popping up for players who have paid for their WoW Classic subscriptions. This can be far more frustrating since these fans have already made payments and still cannot play WoW Classic, and it’s also slightly more problematic to resolve.

This issue is likely related to the WoW Classic license or account, as the game needs to ensure that the player’s WoW Classic license matches up with the license being used for game time. However, there are odd and more complex cases that have no clear reason as well.

According to WoW fans on Reddit, it’s common for the Blizzard.net launcher to default to the wrong account when it’s first installed. As a result, the easiest fix may be to simply double-check that it’s set to the correct account with game time or an active subscription.

However, some players may experience issues when attempting to purchase game time as well. In some cases, the purchased game time may be automatically added to the wrong account.

A few players feel that using VPNs during the purchasing process can cause issues such as these, although this has not been officially stated. The only way to resolve this sort of issue is by speaking directly with the developers’ Customer Support team, specifically Billing, as they can assist players with getting the purchased game time on the correct license.

Players always have the option to contact Billing directly using the regular link, although many have stated that it takes ages to get a response from them using this channel. A quicker and more reliable option is to wait for Live Chat to open up against the Subscription page, and chat with the support team in real-time.

Some players have experienced this error without even trying to log into the game as well, such as when trying to log into the accounts to check on characters – as described by fans on Reddit. Unfortunately, cases such as these will also need to be resolved by Support.

That’s everything there is to know about the “Game Time Required” error that players may encounter in WoW Classic. Although coming across this error can be frustrating, it can be quite simple to resolve with the right approaches – and, possibly some additional assistance from Billing.

What do you think about the “Game Time Required” error in WoW Classic and how you can solve it? Let us know in the comments below!