How to Fix Roblox Error 517 (This Game Has Ended)

By FixMyError · Updated October 15, 2026 · 7 min read

What Error 517 means

Error 517 is one of Roblox's join errors, and it shows up at the worst possible moment: you click Play, tap Join, or accept a friend's invite, and instead of loading into the game, Roblox flashes a message like "This game is currently unavailable. Please try again later" or "This game has ended." You're left staring at a failed join screen instead of playing.

Behind the scenes, the cause is almost always simple timing. Roblox games run on individual servers that come and go throughout the day — servers spin up when players join, and they shut down when they empty out, when the developer pushes an update, or when Roblox recycles them. Error 517 appears when your client tries to connect to one of those servers right as it is shutting down. The door was open when you knocked, but it was already swinging closed.

There's a second, sneakier trigger that's worth understanding. If you get disconnected from a server and immediately try to rejoin the same one, Roblox may still be unwinding your previous session. Your new join attempt collides with the old one that's still being torn down, and the game answers with error 517. Players who spam the join button after a disconnect run into this version constantly — every rapid retry lands before the previous session has fully disconnected.

The reassuring part is what error 517 is not. It is not a ban, it is not a punishment from the game developer, and it doesn't mean anything is wrong with your account. Your progress, Robux, and avatar are all safe. In the vast majority of cases, the right move is a different server and a little patience, which is exactly where the fixes below begin.

Common causes

• You joined a server that was shutting down: the number-one cause of error 517. The server had already started closing when your join request arrived, so Roblox rejected it.
• Rejoining too quickly after a disconnect: Roblox may still be disconnecting your previous session, and the new join attempt collides with the old one still tearing down.
• Outdated Roblox client: an old client is more likely to stumble during the join handshake, especially right after Roblox pushes an update.
• Platform-wide outage: during Roblox downtime, servers shut down abnormally and error 517 can appear across many games at once — a Roblox-side problem no reinstall will fix.
• Corrupted local installation: the least common cause, but damaged Roblox files can make join attempts fail repeatedly no matter which server you pick.

How to fix Error 517 — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Error 517 is almost always a server-side timing issue, so the list starts with the moves that cost you nothing — a different server and a short wait — and saves the heavy fixes for the end.

1. Wait a few minutes, then try a different server. Error 517 is usually timing, not a broken installation. The server you tried to join was shutting down, so give Roblox a couple of minutes to retire it, then rejoin the game through the regular Play button instead of the same invite or link. Roblox will place you on a fresh, healthy server. Picking a different server also avoids the trap of rejoining the same dying one over and over.
2. Don't rejoin the exact server you just left. If you disconnected from a server and immediately try to rejoin it, Roblox may still be unwinding your old session, and the new join attempt collides with it — that's a classic trigger for 517. Wait two to three minutes before joining the same server again. If the game lets you pick a specific server from its server list, choose a different one rather than the one that just kicked you out.
3. Check the Roblox status page for an outage. During platform-wide problems, servers shut down abnormally and 517 can appear everywhere at once. Check status.roblox.com to see whether Roblox reports degraded performance or an outage. If it does, the error is on their side and no setting on your device will fix it — wait for Roblox to recover, then rejoin. Ongoing platform trouble is also worth ruling out before you start reinstalling anything.
4. Restart Roblox and refresh your session. Log out of your Roblox account, close the app or browser completely, and log back in. This clears the stale session that can collide with a new join attempt. If you play in a browser, close every tab running Roblox, then restart the browser before signing in again. A clean session removes the "previous visit still disconnecting" state that commonly produces error 517.
5. Update the Roblox app or your browser. An outdated client is more likely to stumble during the join handshake. On PC, update Roblox through the Microsoft Store; on mobile, check the App Store or Google Play for a pending Roblox update. If you play in a browser, make sure the browser itself is current and update Roblox through roblox.com if prompted. After updating, launch the game fresh and try joining again.
6. Reinstall Roblox as a last resort. If 517 keeps appearing no matter which server you join, your local installation may be corrupted. Uninstall Roblox from your device, restart the device, then download a fresh copy from the official source — the Microsoft Store or roblox.com on PC, the App Store on iPhone/iPad, or Google Play on Android. A clean install replaces any damaged files and gives the join process a clean slate.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• You can click Play and land in a game without the error 517 screen
• The game loads fully instead of saying "This game has ended"
• status.roblox.com shows all systems operational
• You waited a few minutes instead of rejoining the same server instantly

If error 517 still won't go away, try a completely different game for one join — that tells you whether the problem sits with one game's servers or with your whole setup. Also double-check you're not following a friend's invite link to a specific server; those links can keep pointing at the same closing server. And remember the golden rule for this error: the faster you mash rejoin, the more likely you are to see it again. Give the previous session a minute to die before knocking on the door again.