GKLocalPlayer localPlayer cannot authenticate: "this application is not recognised by Game Center" error GKServerStatusCode 5019

When authenticating the GKLocalPlayer.localPlayer with Game Center the console logs a message:

_authenticateUsingAlert:Failed to authenticate player with existing credentials.Error: Error Domain=GKErrorDomain Code=15 "The requested operation could not be completed because this application is not recognised by Game Center." UserInfo={GKServerStatusCode=5019, NSLocalizedDescription=The requested operation could not be completed because this application is not recognised by Game Center., NSUnderlyingError=0x600001fc57a0 {Error Domain=GKServerErrorDomain Code=5019 "status = 5019, no game matching descriptor: ios:***.***.***:1.4:4+-1" UserInfo={GKServerStatusCode=5019, NSLocalizedFailureReason=status = 5019, no game matching descriptor: ios:***.***.***:1.4:4+-1}}}

After this, I CAN access the player properties such as avatar and name, but Game Center will not show any leaderboards or achievements, nor can scores be submitted.

iOS 15.2, on any device or Simulator the same happens.

I have tried EVERYTHING I could find on the web:

• check correct bundle ID
• create a leaderboard in App Store Connect
• create an achievement in App Store Connect
• create a whole new app in App Store Connect
• create a whole new project in Xcode
• delete and re-add Game Center capability
• use a different Apple ID to sign in to Game Center
• use a different Apple Developer Account and do the above again

I do have two other games in which everything works fine. In many old posts about this, no one ever got any answer or solution, so I am thinking Apple's backend system is buggy.

If anyone has ANY information on how to solve, please help.

After contacting Apple Developer Support, the issue was escalated to Apples engineering team.

Meanwhile I found several other cases on the internet, all of which were "resolved" by waiting 5-7 days, then deleting or adding a Game Center Achievement or Leaderboard, and then suddenly, magically things worked.

So I tried it one more time and now it works.