Fix: Civilization 6 Stuck on Loading Screen
Is your Civilization 6 stuck on the loading screen? You are not alone! A lot of users are reporting the issue that Civilization 6 load time, sometimes, take a bit too long. Close to 10 minutes long for some users, and it’s crashing too. This is very unusual. I haven’t had loading problems with any of Sid Meier’s Civilization series games that I have played, ever. So, went around, starting from some “self-assessment”, and to searching for Barbarians on my PC. Fixed the issue, eventually.
Caught in a similar situation? Here’s what you need to do:
1. Reality Check
Does you PC even has what it takes to run this game? Check the system requirements and see if there’s something that you haven’t heard of before:
Minimum Requirements:
Processor: Intel Core i3 2.5 Ghz or AMD Phenom II 2.6 Ghz or greater
RAM: 4 GB
Disk Space: 12 GB
Graphics: 1 GB DirectX 11 Video Card (AMD 5570 or nVidia 450)
Recommended Requirements:
Processor: 4th Gen Intel Core i5 2.5 Ghz or AMD FX8350 4.0 Ghz or greater
RAM: 8 GB
Disk Space: 12 GB
Graphics: 2 GB DirectX 11 Video Card (AMD 7970 or nVidia 770 or greater)
My PC, fortunately, matched these requirements. If yours does too, then there’s something wrong with the software side:
2. Fix Civilization VI Stuck on Loading Screen Issue
Search for Barbarians in your PC
Yes, the Barbarians. You’ll find them aplenty in Windows. In this case, it’s Windows Defender. Here’s how to get rid of this annoying barbarian:
Step 1: Open the Windows Defender and click on the “Settings”.
It will open up settings screen in a new window.
Step 2: Scroll down to the “Exclusions”, and click “Add an exclusion”.
Step 3: Click “Exclude a file”, then browse to the directory where you installed the game and select “CivilizationVI.exe” file.
Step 4: After you have added the exclusion, launch the game again.
It should now run like Usain Bolt.
But, Windows Defender? Are you for real?
How on earth… what kind of solution is this – you’d wonder. Let me explain:
As this amazing Reddit user finds out, Windows Defender just cannot stop hitting on the newest girl in the town. The town is your PC. Civ 6 is the girl. Windows Defender is the guy she tells you not to worry about.
What happens is, when you launch the game, Windows Defender just cannot help it and starts “scanning” the game. As a result you are stuck on the loading screen for as long as the scan is in progress. Sometimes it takes longer than an intercourse. You give up, and restart the game – same thing happens.
So what the steps noted above made you do was to exclude the game from Windows Defender checks. The load time will improve considerably.
Trivia: I have decided to name a unit in Civilization VI after this awesome piece of software: Windows Defender! #TruStory!
