WWE 2K20 – Fix Game Not Starting or Infinite Loading on PC 😺

Hello beautiful people! 👋 Yosh here. Is WWE 2K20 stuck on an infinite loading screen — or refusing to start at all on PC? You're in the right place. This port is picky about fullscreen boot, online checks, and missing runtimes. The launch workaround below plus a few Steam fixes usually get you to the menu. Nando would walk across the keyboard for this one. 😺

WWE 2K20 – Fix Game Not Starting or Infinite Loading on PC 😺

WWE 2K20 on PC often hangs because it tries fullscreen online handshake at boot, hits a failed server response, and never advances. Missing Visual C++ runtimes, overlay hooks, or corrupted profile saves cause the same symptom — splash forever, no main menu.

Why WWE 2K20 won't start or loads forever

• Fullscreen + online check at launch — game waits on servers that may not respond (2K online services ended June 2022; offline boot still matters)
• Missing VC++ runtimes — exe exits silently or loops on loading
• Overlay conflict — Steam, Discord, or GeForce hooks stall the first screen
• Corrupted save/profile — broken data in Documents blocks menu load
• Wrong GPU on laptops — integrated graphics selected instead of dedicated

Fix 1 – Launch workaround (most effective for infinite loading)

This is the community-tested sequence for the stuck loading screen:

1. Right-click the game in Steam → Manage → Browse local files → right-click the .exe → Run as administrator (or set once for testing)
2. When the splash or loading bar appears, press Enter — this often forces windowed mode and skips the fullscreen hang
3. When a prompt appears on screen, disconnect internet (disable Wi‑Fi or unplug Ethernet)
4. Click Accept (or OK) and wait until the main menu loads
5. Reconnect internet after you're in — you only need offline mode for the initial boot

Steam launch option: right-click WWE 2K20 → Properties → Launch Options → add -windowed so it never starts fullscreen. Combine with Steam → Go Offline for a clean test launch.

Fix 2 – Verify and repair game files

1. Steam → WWE 2K20 → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files
2. Wait for repair to finish, then reboot PC before relaunching
3. If verify fails repeatedly, note the path — avoid install folders with special characters or OneDrive sync

Fix 3 – Install official runtimes

1. Install Visual C++ 2015–2022 — both x64 and x86 from Microsoft
2. Reboot after install
3. Update GPU drivers from NVIDIA/AMD official sites if the game closes with no error

Fix 4 – Disable overlays and background apps

• Steam → Settings → In-Game → uncheck Enable Steam Overlay (test launch)
• Discord → Settings → Game Overlay → off for WWE 2K20
• Close Xbox Game Bar, GeForce Experience overlay, and RGB software hooks
• Test one change at a time so you know what fixed it

Fix 5 – Clear corrupted saves (backup first)

1. Close the game completely
2. Open Documents\WWE 2K20 (or OneDrive\Documents\WWE 2K20)
3. Copy the entire folder to your Desktop as backup
4. Rename the original folder to WWE 2K20_backup and launch again — fresh profile test
5. If that works, copy saves back one file at a time to find the corrupt profile

Fix 6 – Laptop GPU and reinstall path

• Windows Settings → Display → Graphics → add the WWE 2K20 .exe → High performance
• Reinstall to a simple path like C:\Games\WWE2K20 — no emoji or accent characters in folder names
• Pause cloud sync on Documents while troubleshooting save corruption

FAQ

Do online modes still work?
2K shut down WWE 2K20 multiplayer servers in June 2022. Single-player, Universe, and local content still run offline for owners — which is why disconnecting at launch helps.

Does this apply to WWE 2K22 or 2K23?
No — those use different engines. This guide targets WWE 2K20 specifically.

Game starts then crashes?
See error 0xc000007B fix or our missing DLL guide.

Still infinite loading after everything?
Try a full reinstall to an SSD, launch offline with -windowed, and check general PC game error fixes.

Related: Game Fixes · PC Games

More PC game fixes: PressCatToStart – from Yosh 😼