Friend cannot connect to BAR games

One player joins the lobby fine but crashes to desktop when the match starts. This happens to new BAR players regularly. Here is how to fix it.

Tags: BAR connection problem, friend cannot join, crash on game start, lobby disconnect

Common symptoms

Your friend downloads the map without issues. They connect to the lobby screen without problems. When the actual match begins, they see a black screen with a connection message, then crash to the desktop. The same problem happens whether they join as a player or try to spectate.

What causes this

Map download appearing to complete does not mean the download finished successfully. BAR sometimes reports map downloads as done when they are actually incomplete. When the game starts and the engine needs map data that is not there, the client crashes.

Another common cause is mismatched game versions. If you and your friend downloaded BAR at different times, one of you might be running a different build. The lobby allows mismatched players because version checking is not strict there.

How to fix it

Have your friend verify their game files through the BAR launcher. Delete the corrupted map files and let them re-download on next join. Both players should run the same game version. Check the version numbers match in the lobby screen.

Search the BAR support channels for similar issues before asking. Your problem has likely been solved already. If nothing matches, post a detailed description including operating system, game version, and the exact crash message.

Creed of champions

Squad players in Creed of Champions help each other troubleshoot connection issues. No one gets left behind because their friend cannot join. The team makes sure everyone is online and ready before queuing.

[Crd] One of the few places where you can for sure coordinate with people in matches with a good supportive attitude. Everybody tends to be understanding and constructive.