Fix Among Us 'Reliable Packet 1 (size=16)' Disconnect Error

Updated: 11/29/2025

You are the Impostor, you just vented, and you are about to secure the win... when the screen goes black. A message appears: 'Disconnected from server. Reliable Packet 1 (size=16) was not ack'd'. This cryptic error message has plagued the game since its explosion in popularity. It basically means your game client tried to send a 'reliable' packet of data (like a kill or a vote) to the server, but the server never sent back a 'receipt' (acknowledgment) in time, so your game panicked and severed the connection.

Method 1: The Region Swap (Fastest Fix)

Sometimes a specific regional server (e.g., North America) is overloaded or dropping packets. Forcing a switch resets your connection route.

Step 1: Change Region

On the main menu, look for the Globe Icon in the bottom right. Click it.

Step 2: Pick a New Server

If you are on North America, switch to Europe or Asia. Join a game. If it works, you can try switching back to your home region after one match. This forces the master server to hand you a new routing ticket.

Method 2: Enable 'High Performance' Mode (Windows)

On laptops, power-saving settings can throttle the WiFi card, causing it to drop 'Reliable Packets' to save battery.

• Right-click the Battery icon > Power Options.
• Select High Performance.
• Restart the game. This ensures your network adapter is running at full voltage.

Method 3: Flush DNS Cache

Stale network addresses can cause packet loss. Clearing them usually resolves the 'not ack'd' error.

Run this in your Command Prompt (Admin), then restart the game.