Cities: Skylines II is a city-building game from Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive. It’s a follow-up to Cities: Skylines, with expanded simulation factors such as city size, population size, improved traffic AI, and management schemes. However, some users have reported encountering loading screen issues while launching the game on their PC, a common problem PC gamers face.
Fix: Cities Skylines 2 is Stuck on the loading screen
Here are some troubleshooting methods to resolve the issue of being stuck on the loading screen while playing the latest Cities Skylines 2. Let’s dive into the guide below.
1. Check-out System Requirements
Before playing the game, check the system requirements to avoid issues with launching and gameplay.
Minimum Requirements:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-6700K | AMD® Ryzen™ 5 2600X
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 970 (4 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 480 (8 GB)
- Storage: 60 GB available space
Recommended Requirements:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit | Windows® 11
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-12600K | AMD® Ryzen™ 7 5800X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia® GeForce™ RTX 3080 (10 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 6800 XT (16 GB)
- Storage: 60 GB available space
2. Increase Virtual RAM
Virtual memory combines your RAM with temporary space on your hard disk. If you’re running out of RAM and the default size of your virtual memory isn’t large enough for your needs, you’ll need to increase it manually.
- Press the Windows logo key on the keyboard and type advanced system settings.
- Click on View Advanced System Settings.
- Click on Settings > Click on the Advanced tab > Click on Change.
- Uncheck the box next to manage paging file size for all drives Automatically.
- Select your C: drive [Where you’ve installed Windows] > Click the Options button next to the Custom size and type 4096 in the text box of the Initial size (MB) and Maximum size (MB).
Note: Increasing the virtual memory three times higher than the current RAM size is always better. [1GB=1024MB]
- Click on Set and then OK to save changes.
- Restart your computer and your game.
3. Properly Place the Storage and RAM in the slot
To fix the issue of Cities Skylines 2 getting stuck on the loading screen, it is recommended that you remove the side panel of your CPU cabinet and unplug the HDD/SSD and RAM components from their slots. Clean the slots and components gently, and then place them back properly. This should help resolve the issue.
4. Update GPU Drivers
If you haven’t updated your graphics driver on Windows, install the latest patch version by following the steps below:
- Press Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
- Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
- Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.
- Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
- If an update is available, the system will automatically download & install it.
- Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.
5. Close Unnecessary Background Tasks
One way to optimize your PC’s performance is to close unnecessary background tasks, preventing additional resource usage. To clear out these tasks:
- Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
- Click on the Processes tab > Select the task you want to close.
- Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
- Once done, restart your computer to change effects immediately.
6. Update Cities Skylines 2
If you haven’t updated your Cities Skylines 2 game recently, follow these steps to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available).
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Cities Skylines 2 from the left pane.
- It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
- It may take some time to install the update > Once done, close the Steam client.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again.
7. Check for Windows Updates
It’s highly likely that your Windows operating system build may become outdated or corrupted over time. If you suspect this to be the case, you can follow the steps below to check for any available updates for your system. If an update is available, it is recommended that you install it as soon as possible. Doing so will ensure that your system has the latest bug fixes and improvements. Here are the steps to check for and install Windows updates:
- Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
- Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.
- If there is a feature update available, select Download and install.
- Wait for some time until the update gets completed.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes immediately.
8. Try Disabling Overlay Apps
It seems that a couple of popular apps do have their own overlay program that can eventually run in the background and cause issues with the gaming performance or even launching issues. You should turn them off to fix the issue by following the steps below:
- Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
- Click on Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
- Click on the Games tab > Select Cities Skylines 2.
- Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
- Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
- Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game Bar option.
If in case, you’re unable to find the Game Bar option, search for it from the Windows Settings menu.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay
- Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
- Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
- Finally, restart the PC to apply changes and relaunch the Cities Skylines 2 game.
Also, remember that you should always disable some other overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that run in the background.
9. Perform a Clean Boot
Some apps and their services may start automatically while booting the system right away. In that case, those apps or services will use a lot of internet connection and system resources. If you also feel the same, perform a clean boot on your computer to check for the issue. To do that:
- Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Now, type MSConfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
- Go to the Services tab > Enable the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.
- Click on Disable all > Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
- Now, go to the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
- The Task Manager interface will open. Here go to the Startup tab.
- Then click on the particular task which has a higher startup impact.
- Once selected, click on Disable to turn them off from the startup process.
- Do the same steps for each program that has a higher startup impact.
- Once done, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.
10. Verify Game Files
If in case, there is an issue with the game files and somehow it gets corrupted or missing then make sure to perform this method to easily check for the issue.
- Launch Steam > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Cities Skylines 2 from the list of installed games.
- Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
- Once done, restart your computer.
I hope this guide helped resolve the Cities Skylines 2 stuck on the loading screen on your PC. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. For those who are experiencing specific issues like getting crashing issue, Stuttering, C++ Redistributable Error, Hardware Not Supported, or Textures Not Loading in Game, it’s recommended to click on the provided link to get detailed troubleshooting steps and possible solutions. Always ensure your systems are up-to-date, and be patient as fixes and updates roll out.