SHORT ANSWER
What should I do when Shift At Midnight multiplayer is not working?
Match the symptom before applying a fix. Failed Steam lobby joins have an official temporary beta-branch workaround; the Russia-specific lobby issue was fixed; other crashes, freezes, and disconnects do not share one confirmed universal fix.
Use the diagnostic selector below and do not delete saves, disable security software, or install third-party executables as a first step.
The current official Steam record distinguishes four cases: failed lobby joins have a temporary network-issues-patch branch; Russia-specific joinable-lobby creation was fixed on 23 July; crash-related cursor/button failure was acknowledged for a future patch; and no universal official fix is confirmed for every freeze or disconnect. This guide keeps those statuses separate.
Reviewed 2026-09-11. Evidence references are listed on the Sources page.Published by ShiftAtMidnight.co. Last reviewed . Review the editorial methodology and source register →
CURRENT ISSUE STATUS
Choose your symptom
Get the status and safe next steps for the closest matching case.
Safe troubleshooting order
PLATFORM MATRIX
Current official evidence
Everything needed for this multiplayer answer is summarized above: platform pool, current status, invite context, caveats, version, and review date. External evidence links are kept out of multiplayer guides so you do not have to leave the site.
STATUS BOARD
Four distinct multiplayer cases
Steam: failed to join or create a lobby
The latest official workaround uses the network-issues-patch beta branch. The official news hub did not show a newer main-version fix at review time.
Safe troubleshooting order
- Confirm every player owns/launches the Steam version.
- Restart Steam and install all pending game updates.
- For every group member: Library → Shift At Midnight → Properties → Game Versions & Betas.
- Enter access code networkissues and opt into network-issues-patch.
- Retry only after every group member has finished updating.
After a crash, the cursor or menu buttons stop responding
The developer said the next minor patch would aim to address this problem. A delivered fix was not yet confirmed in the current official news hub.
Safe troubleshooting order
- Fully close and restart the game client.
- Install any pending Steam update before retrying.
- Do not delete saves or install third-party fixes based on this page.
- Record your platform, build time and reproduction steps when reporting the bug.
Russia: other players cannot join a created lobby
The 23 July patch explicitly lists a fix for players unable to create joinable lobbies in Russia.
Safe troubleshooting order
- Install the latest Steam build for every player.
- Recreate the lobby after updating.
- If the issue remains, treat it as a new report and include region and build details.
Lobby freezes, disconnects, or fails outside the documented cases
No universal fix for every freeze or disconnect appears in the latest reviewed official posts.
Safe troubleshooting order
- Confirm the group uses a supported platform pairing.
- Restart every client and match game versions.
- Let the host recreate the lobby.
- Avoid deleting saves, disabling security software, or downloading third-party executables.
- Report platform, region, group size, symptom and build time so the case can be distinguished from known issues.
Do not delete saves, disable security software, or install third-party executables as a first-line fix.