Relief is on the way for Call of Duty: Warzone players experiencing lobby crashing issues. The update comes after users reported their games were freezing or crashing during loading screens, leading to unwarranted in-game penalties in some cases. While the underlying glitch remains unpatched for now, Warzone issued a quick fix so the game won't penalize people experiencing lobby issues anymore.

2024 was a big year for the Call of Duty franchise, but it hasn't been an easy ride for developer Raven Software in recent months. In late December, Warzone matchmaking temporarily went offline after an accidental update, and players have repeatedly reported problems with cheating and bugs. Now, the new year is off to a rough start for the game, too, thanks to a frustrating new issue.

Warzone players have reported that their games are freezing or crashing during loading screens, prompting Raven Software to begin investigating the crashes on January 6. While the company's public bug-tracking board on Trello still shows the glitch is unresolved, the devs have eased the situation a bit. In a January 9 Twitter post, the developers announced they would temporarily suspend Skill Rating penalties and timeouts for players who disconnect before joining a Ranked match. Players had previously expressed outrage over Warzone suspensions from the glitch, so this update should at least make the issue less infuriating for impacted users.

Call of Duty: Warzone Developers Have Responded to the Lobby Crash Issue

Before the update, anyone whose game crashed could lose hard-earned SR points and be unable to join a new match for several minutes. Humorously, Warzone players demanded the early leaving penalty a few years ago, but now that it's part of the game, it's triggering some issues when bugs like this one cause people to unintentionally drop out. Raven Software's temporary suspension aims to address both sides of the problem. Getting booted before the match starts won't result in a penalty, but players who leave halfway through will still be penalized.

While players are still waiting for a permanent fix, the penalty update does make the problem less urgent. Many fans may still be less than enthusiastic about the situation, however. Bugs continue to persist even after Warzone issued a massive update in early January 2025, and any disruption to Ranked play is sure to ruffle some feathers, regardless of the surrounding circumstances. The Call of Duty: Warzone team certainly has their hands full with bug fixes and patches at the moment, but hopefully they can resolve them before too long.