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There are many loading screens in Elder Scrolls Online. Whether you’re using a Wayshrine to teleport across the world, are entering a new area, or are waiting for the game to start, you will end up staring at a loading screen. However, the most troubling screen can be found right after you start the game from the launcher. If you ever find it continuously loading and not advancing to the next screen, here’s how to fix it.
How to repair the infinite loading screen on PC
Starting Elder Scrolls Online on PC brings up the Elder Scrolls Online Launcher. The small window contains information about the game, upcoming content changes, and a download bar. From that window, you can select to play ESO and it will bring up the actual game in its own separate window. It’s typically here that players encounter the infinite loading screen.
You’ll notice the error if, after a few minutes, the screen doesn’t advance to the character selection menu. There is an ouroboros symbol on the bottom right corner that will constantly spin to let you think it’s loading but in fact, it might not be.
Close the game itself and bring up the launcher. From the launcher, find the gear icon and select the repair option. This should reload the game and replace the download bar with a repair bar. If this doesn’t happen, close the launcher altogether, bring it back up, and try again.
Once the repair bar finishes, you will be able to start ESO again.
How to repair the infinite loading screen on console
The same issue can appear on console versions and there are a few ways to fix it. The first is to clear your cache and delete your saved data. Both can be found within the consoles Settings menu under ESO. The next thing you can do is turn off the console and unplug the power cable for a few seconds. If both of these techniques do not work, you may have to uninstall ESO and install it again.
The infinite load problem should now be fixed and the loading screen should advance to the character selection menu.
About the author
Scott Roepel
Scott Roepel, also goes by Dorian, is a writer, journalist, and co-author of the fantasy book series Thread of Souls. Ever since he could pick up a controller, he's been playing games. His passion for storytelling led to him starting a homebrew TTRPG campaign that he now co-authors as a book series with his wife. A lover of stories and fantasy, if he isn't playing a video game, he's writing about one or creating his own world.
