We’ve investigated various community posts of other members and realized that there are actually multiple potential causes that might be at the root cause of this issue. Here are several culprits that you should look into: Now that we went over every potential cause of the ‘Synchronizing Status’ screen, let’s go over every user recommended fix. Go through every method below in order until you manage to find the culprit and fix the problem in your particular scenario.
1. Check for ongoing server issues
Before you go any other route, the first thing you should do is check if the developers (The Farm 51) are currently dealing with a server issue that affects matchmaking. This is by no means a new problem as this game has been plagued by server problems since its inception and the symptoms only seem to be getting worse after the game entered close beta stage. If this scenario is applicable, use DownDetector to see if World War 3 is currently affected by a server problem. On the DownDetector status page of World War 3, check if there’s currently an ongoing issue affecting matchmaking. Note: While you’re on the dedicated World War 3 page of DownDetector, scroll down and check the comment section – This section will give you an idea if other users are currently facing the same issue as the one you’re currently dealing with. In the event that you find a lot of user reports complaining about the same type of issue on the World War 3 DownDetector page, take the time to check out the official Twitter account of World War 3 for any official announcement of a server problem. Note: The developers over at The Farm 51 are usually quick in announcing ongoing technical issues affecting the game, so definitely keep an eye on their official communication channels. If the investigations you just did have revealed a server problem, there’s nothing you can really do other than wait for the problem to be resolved by the developers. However, if you found no evidence of an ongoing server problem, move down to the first potential fix below that solves the problem caused by a local antivirus or firewall suite.
2. Stop Antivirus or Firewall from interfering (if applicable)
As it turns out, another reason why you can expect World War 3 to get stuck at the ‘Synchronizing Status’ screen is a potential conflict preventing the local game installation from communicating with the game servers due to an AV or firewall interference. According to community members, some Antivirus and Firewall suites are apparently messing with the main executable of World War 3 which hinders the game’s ability to facilitate matchmaking. Follow the applicable sub-guide below and see if you can stop your antivirus from interfering with the game:
Disable the Real-time protection of your antivirus
The quickest fix (if your antivirus is to blame) is to simply disable the real-time protection and see if you can finally get past the ‘Synchronizing Status’ screen. If the problem is caused by a firewall issue, this will ensure that the main game executable of World War 3 is not prevented from communicating with the game server. Note: If you’re using BitDefender, you will actually need to access the Advanced Settings menu in order to be able to disable the real-time Antivirus shield. Once you’ve ensured that the real-time protection is disabled in your 3rd party antivirus, run Destiny 2 normally and see if the freezing issues have been fixed.
Whitelist WW3’s executable inside your Antivirus / Firewall
Even if the method above has been successful in your case and you can now bypass the ‘Synchronizing Status’ screen, you should still not consider it as a permanent solution (because it will leave your system exposed to legitimate security threats). A better way to deal with the issue if an antivirus is at fault is to access your antivirus settings and establish an exception rule that excludes the main World War 3 executable from the reach of your antivirus or firewall. Of course, the exact instructions for establishing a whitelisting rule for World War 3 will vary a lot depending on the security suite that you’re using. Note: You can search online for specific instructions on how to do this if you are stuck. If you’re using BitDefender, follow the instructions below to establish a whitelisting rule for World War 3:
Uninstall the 3rd party antivirus suite
If disabling the real-time protection is not an option for you and the instructions above we’re not applicable, the only course of action left at your disposal is to uninstall the interfering 3rd party antivirus completely via the Programs and Features screen. This will hopefully prevent the security rules currently enforced in World War 3. Follow the instructions below to uninstall the interfering AV suite that is interfering with the game: Note: The instructions below are universal and will work on every recent Windows version.
3. Disable VPN or Proxy Server
Another reason why you might be seeing this type of problem is an instance where the server authentication module is affected by a proxy or VPN software. If this scenario is applicable to you, there isn’t a magic fix that you can enforce in order to bypass the interference. All you can really do is disable the proxy or VPN interference. This particular fix was confirmed by several World War 3 players that we’re all dealing with this problem. Depending on the anonymity app that you’re using (if the scenario is applicable), follow the applicable sub-guide below:
Disable a Proxy server
If you’re using a proxy server, all you need to do is access the Proxy tab of the Settings menu and ensure that the use of a proxy server on this Windows installation is disabled. Here’s how to treat this issue: Once your PC boots back up, launch World War 3 once again and see if the game is now able to get past the Synchronization Status screen.
Disable a native VPN connection
In case you are using a VPN connection that is configured natively from the VPN connection tab, there’s no other way other than disabling the VPN connection by accessing the Network & internet connection menu. Here’s what you need to do to disable a native VPN connection in order to prevent interference with World War 3:
Uninstall the 3rd party VPN app
In the event that you are using a standalone VPN app when playing World War 3, you will need to get rid of it by using the Programs and Features menu. This is clearly the most effective solution as a lot of affected users have confirmed it. Here’s how to uninstall the problematic 3rd party suite: If the same problem is still ongoing despite removing any potential proxy or VPN interference (or these methods were not applicable) move down to the final potential fix below.
4. Validate Steam files
If none of the methods above were effective in your case, one final thing you can try is to troubleshoot against is a classic case of some kind of game file corruption. There’s a lot of discussion in the Discord channel of WW3 that this problem is often caused by some type of game file corruption that typically appears after a botched update or after an unexpected PC shutdown. In this case, the only fix is to use the built-in Steam menus to fix the integrity of World War 3 by triggering a Steam validation check. To verify the file integrity of the game via Steam, follow the instructions below:
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