How to Fix GTA V Online Infinite Loading Screen (2026)

GTA Online stuck on an infinite loading screen is a problem that has plagued players for over a decade, and it is still happening in 2026. You click Play, the loading bar fills up, and then nothing. The game just sits there. Sometimes for 5 minutes, sometimes forever. These fixes address every known cause of the infinite load.

Quick Fix

This works for about 80% of infinite loading instances:

1. When stuck on the loading screen, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. Go to the Details tab.
3. Find GTA5.exe, right-click it, and select Set Priority then High.
4. Wait 30 seconds. The loading should suddenly complete.

If you are stuck loading into a specific session, try this: press Alt + F4, then when the quit prompt appears, press Cancel. This can jolt the game past the loading hang.

What Causes GTA Online Infinite Loading?

The infinite loading screen has several root causes:

Rockstar Social Club connectivity issues. GTA Online has to authenticate with Rockstar servers, match you to a session, and sync your character data. If any of these steps hang, you get stuck at the loading screen.

Corrupted cache files. GTA V stores cache data that can become corrupted over time, especially after game updates. The game tries to load stale cache and gets stuck in a loop.

DNS resolution delays. Your PC might be struggling to resolve Rockstar server addresses quickly enough, causing the matchmaking handshake to time out silently.

Fix 1: Set Process Priority to High

This gives GTA V more CPU time during the loading process.

1. Launch GTA V and wait until you hit the loading screen.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
3. Click the Details tab.
4. Find GTA5.exe in the list.
5. Right-click it, select Set priority then High.
6. Go back to the game. Loading should complete within 30-60 seconds.

You need to do this every time you launch. To make it permanent, you can create a batch file or use a third-party tool like Process Lasso.

Fix 2: Load into Story Mode First

Instead of loading directly into GTA Online, load into Story Mode and then switch.

1. Launch GTA V and select Story Mode from the loading screen.
2. Once you are in single-player, press Pause.
3. Go to the Online tab and select Go to GTA Online.
4. Choose Invite Only Session for the fastest load.

This works because Story Mode loads locally without needing to connect to multiplayer servers first. Once Story Mode is running, the transition to Online is faster and more reliable.

Fix 3: Clear GTA V Cache

Corrupted cache is a major cause of infinite loading.

1. Close GTA V completely.
2. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Rockstar Games\GTA V\
3. Delete these folders if they exist: cache and shader_cache.
4. Also navigate to: Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA V\Profiles\
5. Delete pc_settings.bin (your graphics settings will reset to defaults).
6. Launch the game.

The game will rebuild these files on the next launch, which usually takes an extra 30-60 seconds but resolves the infinite load.

Fix 4: Change DNS Servers

Slow DNS resolution can cause the Rockstar server handshake to stall.

1. Open Settings then Network and Internet then Change adapter options.
2. Right-click your active network adapter and select Properties.
3. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
4. Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
5. Set Preferred DNS to 1.1.1.1 and Alternate to 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare).
6. Click OK and restart your PC.

Google DNS (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) also works. The key is replacing your ISP default DNS, which is often slower.

Fix 5: Disable Your Firewall Temporarily

Your firewall might be blocking GTA Online network traffic.

1. Open Windows Security then Firewall and network protection.
2. Click your active network (Domain, Private, or Public).
3. Toggle Windows Defender Firewall to Off.
4. Launch GTA V and try loading into GTA Online.
5. If it works, add GTA5.exe as a firewall exception and re-enable the firewall.

To add the exception: Windows Security then Firewall then Allow an app through firewall then Change settings then Add GTA5.exe from your Steam or Rockstar installation directory.

Fix 6: Verify Game Files

Corrupted game files can make loading get stuck at specific points.

On Steam:

1. Right-click GTA V in your Library.
2. Click Properties then Installed Files.
3. Click Verify integrity of game files.

On Rockstar Launcher:

1. Open the Rockstar Games Launcher.
2. Click on GTA V.
3. Go to Settings then Verify integrity.

This scan takes several minutes for GTA V due to its large file size (around 120 GB).

Fix 7: Try an Invite Only Session

Public lobbies require the most server-side matchmaking and are most likely to get stuck loading.

1. From the main menu, go to Online then Play GTA Online.
2. Select Invite Only Session instead of finding a public session.
3. You can still do most content in invite-only sessions, including heists, businesses, and missions.

If Invite Only loads fine but public sessions hang, the problem is on Rockstar’s matchmaking servers rather than your system.

Fix 8: Reinstall the Rockstar Social Club App

A corrupted Social Club installation can prevent GTA Online from authenticating.

1. Open Settings then Apps then Installed Apps.
2. Find Rockstar Games Social Club and uninstall it.
3. Also uninstall Rockstar Games Launcher if present.
4. Restart your PC.
5. Launch GTA V through Steam. It will prompt you to reinstall Social Club automatically.

This resets all Rockstar authentication tokens and forces a fresh login.

How to Prevent GTA Online Infinite Loading

Always load into Story Mode first, then transition to GTA Online. This method is consistently faster and avoids the worst loading hangs.

Keep your cache cleared after major game updates. Rockstar releases updates roughly every 6-8 weeks, and clearing cache after each update prevents stale data from causing problems.

Use an SSD. GTA V on a mechanical hard drive loads significantly slower and is more prone to infinite loading. If you are still on an HDD, moving GTA V to an SSD cuts load times by 60-70%.

FAQ

Why is GTA Online loading so slow compared to Story Mode?

GTA Online has to connect to Rockstar servers, authenticate your Social Club account, download your character data, find a compatible session, and sync with other players. Story Mode skips all of this and loads entirely from your local drive.

Does Internet speed affect GTA Online loading?

Not as much as you would think. Loading speed depends more on DNS resolution time and Rockstar server response time than raw bandwidth. Switching to Cloudflare or Google DNS usually helps more than upgrading your internet plan.

The loading screen shows a percentage and then gets stuck. Is that different?

Yes. If loading gets stuck at a specific percentage (usually around 90%), it is likely a corrupted game file rather than a network issue. Verify your game files through Steam or the Rockstar Launcher.

Can a VPN fix GTA Online loading?

Sometimes. If your ISP is throttling game traffic or has poor routing to Rockstar servers, a VPN can provide a faster path. Try connecting to a VPN server close to your physical location.

Is the infinite loading screen a Rockstar server issue?

Sometimes, yes. Check Rockstar’s server status page at support.rockstargames.com before troubleshooting. If servers are down or degraded, no local fix will help.