Why am I getting kicked out of games?
Getting kicked out of a game usually has one of three causes: the game crashes (outdated drivers, overheating, not enough memory or corrupted files), your connection drops (unstable Wi-Fi, packet loss, server problems), or the server removes you (being AFK, a vote-kick, an anti-cheat flag or an outdated game version). The message you see, or the lack of one, tells you which it is.
1. The game closes to the desktop or home screen (crash)
On PC:
- Update your graphics driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel and install Windows updates.
- Verify the game files in Steam, Epic, the Xbox app or Battle.net.
- Check temperatures; clean dust and make sure fans work. Overheating often causes crashes after 20-60 minutes of play.
- Turn off overlays and overclocking tools (including GPU overclocks) to test.
- Leave the Windows page file on "System managed" unless you have a specific reason to change it.
- If crashes happen in many games, run Windows Memory Diagnostic and check that your power supply is strong enough.
On consoles: update the system and the game, make sure the console has airflow, and reinstall the game if it keeps crashing in the same place.
2. Your phone closes the game
- Close other apps; phones close games when memory runs out.
- Free up storage (keep at least a few GB free).
- Turn off battery saver, which can limit performance.
- Let a hot phone cool down and remove a thick case while playing.
- Update the game and the phone's system software.
3. "Disconnected" or "Lost connection"
- Use a wired connection or move closer to the router.
- Restart the modem and router.
- Pause downloads and streams on the same network.
- Check the game's official status page or social accounts for server outages and maintenance.
4. The server kicked you
Messages like "kicked for inactivity," "removed by vote" or an anti-cheat error mean the server removed you on purpose. Move or press a key so you aren't flagged as AFK, update the game, and close cheat-like tools such as macro or memory-editing apps that anti-cheat systems may flag. If you think an account action was a mistake, contact the game's official support.
FAQ
Why does my game keep crashing on PC?
The most common causes are outdated graphics drivers, overheating, unstable overclocks and corrupted game files. Fix those first.
What does it mean when a game crashes?
The game hit an error it couldn't recover from and closed. A crash log or error code can help support find the cause.
Why do apps close automatically on my phone?
Usually because the phone is low on memory or storage, or a battery or heat limit is shutting them down.
Can bad internet crash a game?
It usually causes disconnects rather than crashes, but some online games close to the menu when the connection drops.