League of Legends Failed Connecting to Loading Screen: Is Firewall Blocking It?

Facing issues with League of Legends? Does it fail to connect to the loading screen every time you launch it? Well, there may be several reasons behind it. In this post, let us discuss five reasons why this might happen and how you can resolve the error. 

Basically, the issue depends on the system configuration, internet connection, and the issues with the login account. Hence, the best thing you can do is ensure that you have a working internet connection and the best available resources/hardware to support the game’s functioning. 

Also, we recommend that you check if the server for League of Legends is down or not using the down-detector, as that is also a major reason it might fail to connect. 

5+ Reasons Why League of Legends Failed Connecting to Loading Screen or Not Opening

Some of the core reasons that cause the trouble while trying to play League of Legends on a Windows PC include – 

• Unmet System Requirements.
• Overheated/Overused Hardware.
• Issues with the League of Legends Online Account.
• Windows Defender Firewall is blocking the process
• Mis-Configured Logs and Configuration Folders With Redundant Files.
• Network Configuration Errors on Windows
• Outdated Network Drivers on PC

If any of these issues are present on your PC, you will face issues with running League of Legends. If you are facing issues while connecting to League of Legends servers, these files might help. However, the following fixes are for users stuck at the loading screen. 

Ways to Fix League of Legends Can’t Connect to Loading Screen

The first thing you should do is check the status of the Riot Games server. It is important to be clear that the error is specifically from your end, as this makes resolving it simple. Visit the Riot Games Status and Live Updates page and check if the League of Legends is running properly or is observing downtime. 

After clearing that, here are the fixes that may help you resolve League of Legends stuck on loading screen error – 

Fix 1 – Add League of Legends to the Exceptions List in the Firewall

While trying to connect to a server, you must ensure that the firewall on your PC allows the connection. To ensure that the firewall is never the reason you are unable to connect with a game server, make sure you add your game to the exceptions list on your firewall. Here are the steps that will help you do so – 

Step 1 – Go to the Start menu and use the search bar to find Windows Defender Firewall.

Step 2 – Open the option, and you will find all the options related to the same.

Step 3 – From the left pane, click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall. Step 4 – After opening the option, click on Change Settings to enable editing to the existing settings.

Step 5—Later, click on the Allow another app… button and find the League of Legends launcher on your PC. Select it to add to the exception list.

Save your changes and try launching the game again to see if they have made a difference. If not, move on to the next fix. 

Fix 2 – Resolve League of Legends Account Errors

If you have not completed the profile creation process or are using any Cheat programs to tamper with the game’s integrity, the LOL account might not allow you to play. The game does not allow you to cheat, especially when playing online and competing with other players. The integrity of the game is crucial; hence, you should check if your PC has any cheat programs detected by the loading screen of League of Legends.

If the issue appears after installing a particular application on your PC, we recommend uninstalling it and relaunching the game. To uninstall the last installed app – 

Step 1 – Press Win+R to open the Run search and use the command appwiz.cpl

Step 2 – Click on the Installed On tab to sort the applications as per their install timing.

Step 3 – Select the top application and click the Uninstall button from the top bar to initiate the process. 

After uninstalling the application from your PC, restart the system and try launching League of Legends. This time it should work properly without showing you any errors while connecting to the loading screen of LoL.

Fix 3 – Refresh the Log Files & Configuration Folders

When you are struggling to launch the game properly, you must check whether the log files and configuration folders are working properly. The best way to reset these files is to delete the related folders and launch the game again, which will automatically create new folders with newer files. 

Step 1 – Launch Explorer on your computer. 

Step 2 – In the address bar, look up the following folder address – 

C:\Riot Games\League of Legends

Step 3 – Look for Config and Logs folders in the opened folders. Right-click on them and delete them.

After deleting the folder, refresh the PC and launch League of Legends. You will now have a fresh loading screen with a game never played on your PC. This method may cost you your current progress. However, if you do not find the issue resolved and still face issues with the game, you can recover the folders from the recycle bin. 

Fix 4 – Reset the Network Adapter

If you believe that everything is sorted but the network is causing the error, you must try to reset the network adapter on your PC. Thankfully, the process is not that complicated, as you can easily use the CMD utility command to do the same. 

Step 1 – Launch the command prompt as administrator on your PC.

Step 2 – In the CMD window, use the command – netsh winsock reset

Step 3 – After running the command, restart your PC to ensure the changes take effect.

Once the reset is complete, try connecting to the internet again and then use the League of Legends launcher to fix the error. 

The Network Adapter plays a crucial role in identifying and fixing the error. Make sure that it is working fine and that all your network settings are in place. 

You may learn to fix unidentified network error (explained for windows 11 operating system).

Fix 5 – Update System Drivers

If resetting the network adapter did not do the job for you, chances are that your PC has outdated drivers, causing a delay in connecting to the loading screen for League of Legends. There are many drivers involved in ensuring that your game runs smoothly. For instance, your GPU drivers, Network Adapter Drivers, Audio Drivers, etc., all play a crucial role in the game’s functioning. Network Adapter drivers become the prime concern when we specifically talk about LoL failing to connect to the load screen. However, if you only see the black screen while the game loads, chances are that your graphics drivers are also at risk. 

Hence, we recommend that you update all the drivers on your PC. But how? Updating drivers manually is a tedious task, and it becomes even more difficult when you have multiple drivers to update. 

The best way to handle these tough tasks is to use the Advanced Driver Updater. The application can update all the outdated drivers on your PC at once. The best part is that it has a database of 10,000+ drivers that are updated regularly. This means that every time you scan for updates, it will give you the latest versions available.

Follow these steps to update your drivers and make the most of your games and PC. Download the application today!

Other Fixes

Other than these five fixes, multiple preliminary measures that you can check to resolve the error – 

• One of the primary and most important things is to ensure that your PC meets all the requirements to run the game.
• Log out of your current League of Legends account and try creating a new one to see if the issue is specific to your credentials.
• Try closing all the apps running in the background to allow proper resources for the game.
• Try launching the game as an administrator. Sometimes, permissions do play a crucial role in launching the game properly.
• Uninstall and reinstall the game on your PC to see if the issue is resolved or not.

After managing all these factors and trying the fixes as shared, we are sure that League of Legends’ failing to connect to the loading screen will not be an error to worry about. Try out these fixes and make sure the drivers on your PC are up to date. 

That said, we have reached the end of this post. Let us know if you have any questions or queries related to the post or the fixes shared. In case you get stuck while performing any of the steps, feel free to reach out via the comments section, as we would love to assist you. 

Thanks for reading. Good luck!

Recommended : Games Keep Crashing Randomly on PC – Here’s How to Fix!