Loading and Black Screen Troubleshooting

Direct answer

First separate a slow load from a stuck load and a black screen. Time one unchanged attempt, note the last visible state, then test safe Steam, driver, overlay, and display checks one at a time; there is no verified universal wait time or fix.

Identify the symptom

• Slow load: the game eventually reaches the menu or scene, but the elapsed time is longer than expected.
• Stuck load: the same loading state remains and does not complete during the recorded attempt.
• Black screen: the display is black after launch or transition, with or without a cursor or audio.
• Crash or exit: the process closes; record this separately because it is not a loading-screen symptom.

Establish one baseline attempt

Restart the PC, launch Steam normally, and time one attempt without switching settings mid-load. Record whether the cursor moves, audio plays, the window responds, or disk activity continues. Do not turn one elapsed time into a universal threshold.

Safe diagnostic order

1. Confirm the PC and free storage against the system requirements.
2. Verify the game's installed files through Steam.
3. Install the current stable driver for the active GPU, then restart.
4. Disable nonessential overlays, injectors, or capture hooks for one test.
5. Compare fullscreen and windowed behavior if the black screen still responds to input.
6. Record the result before trying another change.

What to include in a report

Include the build/channel, Windows version, CPU, GPU, RAM, storage type, display resolution, window mode, elapsed time, last visible screen, cursor/audio state, and whether file verification found a problem.