Quick checks before blaming your PC
Most Steam reviews complaining about online play describe the same flow: signing in hangs, lobby join returns to menu, or the match starts and someone drops. Start with the lowest-risk checks.
- Restart Steam completely, not only the game window.
- Disable VPN / proxy for one test; if your group is cross-region, pick the region closest to the group midpoint.
- Pause downloads, cloud sync, and screen-share uploads before joining a lobby.
- Verify game files in Steam if only your client gets kicked while friends stay connected.