If you’re trying to play NBA 2K23 but are receiving a message with the error codes “EFEAB30C” or “4B538E50”, a common reason for seeing these errors is because you don’t have the latest data downloaded.

When that happens, it means you can’t continue on to play until you’ve got the most recent update downloaded.

For those players on the Nintendo Switch this can happen right after installation, before you start playing – but we have troubleshooting ready for you! If you’re experiencing this issue on Nintendo Switch, please try these steps.

4b538e50 Fix Error

If that’s the case and you are not on the Switch, you’ll have to wait for the data to download to your console or PC. Exactly how long this takes varies, depending on the size of the download and the speed of your internet connection.

That said: Once the download is complete, you’ll see a pop-up message asking you to return to the game’s main menu so the update can go into effect. After that, you should be able to play without a problem.

Generally, playing a couple of games in “Play Now” mode is enough to trigger the download. When your game is completed, NBA 2K23 should prompt the update message in the corner which requires backing out to the main menu.  After doing so, you will be met with a loading screen during which the update will apply. Once the update is applied, you will automatically be brought to the main menu.

The info above is the most common cause for this error message, but we’ve discovered a couple of others. We’ve included them, as well as workarounds, below.

The account email confirmation needs to be sent again.

To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Go to: https://www.nba2k.com
2. Click “Sign In” at the top-right of the screen
3. Enter your MyPLAYER account name AND password
4. When you log in successfully, this is an automatic verification of your account via the log in.

You may be encountering this error due to the exceeded amount of allowed NBA 2K accounts on your console.

The maximum number of NBA 2K accounts that can be created on a single console is 5. If you’ve created more than 5 accounts, then a security protocol is set in place that disallows server access to all NBA 2K accounts except for the first five accounts ever created on that specific console. We do not have an additional workaround to bypass the error and you will have to use your first five NBA 2K accounts to play online.

There may be some software blocking your connection to our servers.

If that’s the case, we’ll need you to try a PathPing and a TraceRoute to see if there is any interference.

That may sound intimidating, but don’t worry! Just follow these steps:

1. On a computer (which needs to be connected to the router you are currently using), open the Windows menu, type “CMD” and press Enter.
2. In the command prompt, enter the following command: pathping -n 104.255.107.131
3. After a few seconds the command prompt is going to show some statistics. To copy the output, right-click anywhere in the window and select: Select All. Right click again and select Copy. Open Notepad. Press Ctrl+V to paste into Notepad.
4. Back at the prompt, type tracert 104.255.107.131 and press Enter. Please wait until the window says Trace Complete. Copy that information as well and send both of these documents to us as attachments.

Reserved Space has been cleared on your hard drive.

The reserved space is space on your hard drive that’s been allocated for updates and patches. Games like NBA 2K and WWE 2K regularly make use of this feature. If you delete a game’s reserved space, the game will re-create it when it launches. When this happens, if the process is cancelled, there’s a possibility you might encounter problems (including the error message: EFEAB30C in NBA 2K23).

We can’t stress this enough: Do not delete a game’s reserved space on your hard drive.

Your data is out of sync.

Often, files will appear missing due to all data not being synced (this is especially possible if you’ve deleted your Reserve Space.) Please select the “Play Now” option and allow your game to sit on that menu until you receive an update message. The message could take quite a long time (possibly hours) to appear depending on where you are in the syncing process.

After receiving the message, you will be asked to go back to the main menu. Please note that when you do this, you’ll encounter a loading screen which will apply the update. Once the update is applied, you will automatically be brought to the main menu.

IF YOU’RE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE ON NINTENDO SWITCH, PLEASE TRY THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. Hold down the power button that’s next to the volume controls on the Switch.
2. Once you’ve pressed that, a menu should appear. Select “Power Options.”
3. Select “Power Off” to shut it down completely.
4. Hold down the power button to turn it back on, and boot up NBA 2K23.

NOTE: After performing these steps, if you receive a message stating that your MyPLAYER Account is expired, please follow these steps:

On a computer:

1. Go to: https://www.nba2k.com
2. Click “Sign In” at the top-right of the screen
3. Choose which online service you’re playing on (either Xbox Live, PSN, Nintendo, or Steam)
4. Input the email address or username and password you would use for those services.

Once successfully logged in, this will be considered as a new account verification. You can then reboot your console and re-launch NBA 2K and you should now be able to play without issue!