6 ways to Fix Battlefield 3 ‘WAITING FOR GAME TO EXIT’ Error

The “Waiting for game to exit” message appears when trying to join a server and it makes no sense since the player has already exited the game. It prevents the player from joining multiplayer games and it definitely takes the fun out of the game.

Luckily, there are quite a few different methods which can be used to resolve the problem so we recommend you follow the instructions below in order to do so! Good luck!

What Causes the “Waiting for Game to Exit” Error While Playing Battlefield 3 on Windows?

The causes of this problem are not so distinct and it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly caused the problem. However, we managed to come up with a shortlist of possible causes and we highly recommend you check it out. Determining the correct to resolve the problem starts with locating the right cause!

Solution 1: End the Battlefield 3 Task in Task Manager

This method will restart the game properly and you can check if the problem persists. This method has helped many users and you will be lucky if it works out for you as it’s definitely the easiest method to perform on our list. Check it out below!

1. Open the game and wait for the error to appear. Use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination by pressing the keys at the same time to open the Task Manager utility.
2. Alternatively, you can use the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination and select Task Manager from the popup blue screen which will appear with several options. You can also search for it in the Start menu.

3. Click on More details at the bottom left part of the window in order to expand Task Manager and search for the Battlefield 3 (BF3.exe) It should be located right under Apps. Select it and choose the End task option from the lower right part of the window.

4. Check to see if the problem has been resolved and if you are still struggling to open join a game in Battlefield 3. Wait to see if the “Waiting for the game to exit” error message still appears!

Solution 2: Repair Battlefield 3 in Origin

Repairing the game using the Origin client managed to help plenty of users and it’s a simple method to try out. This makes it worthy of your time so make sure you follow the steps below and try it out!

1. Open Origin by double-clicking its icon and navigate to Game Library menu which should be located at the left pane on the screen.

2. Click on the Battlefield 3 icon at the Game Library, right-click the gear icon next to the orange Play button and choose Repair option from the context menu. Let it finish with its process and check to see if the problem still appears!

Solution 3: Run Battlefield 3 with Administrator Permissions

Running anything with administrator permissions is sure to provide some help for plenty of errors and this one is no different. Simply running the Battlefield 3 client as an administrator may be enough for you to stop seeing the annoying error once and for all.

1. Locate the Battlefield 3 shortcut or executable on your computer and open its properties it by right-clicking its entry either on the Desktop or the Start menu or the Search results window and choose Properties from the pop-up context menu. The executable is located in your installation folder under the name of BF3.exe.
2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab in the Properties window and check the box next to the Run this program as an administrator option before saving the changes by clicking OK or Apply.

3. Make sure you confirm any dialogs which may appear which should prompt you to confirm the choice with admin privileges and Battlefield 3 should launch with admin privileges from the next startup.

Solution 4: Disable Login Verification

Disabling login verification is definitely a weird way to resolve the problem but it works and it can be done in an instant. Make sure you follow the steps below in order to disable login verification in Origin and check to see if the “Waiting for game to exit” error still appears while playing Battlefield 3.

1. Open Origin by double-clicking its icon and expand the My Account menu at the top of the window before clicking Privacy Settings.

2. Make sure you navigate to the Security tab in the My Account screen which will open and you should see the Login Verification section. Click the Turn Off button and apply any prompts which may appear!

Solution 5: Run Origin as an Administrator and Disable Origin In-Game

Running the Origin client with administrator permissions is a great way to resolve the problem, especially if you have already started running the game with admin permissions. Additionally, many users have reported that disabling the Origin In-Game option also helped!

1. Locate the Origin shortcut or executable on your computer and open its properties it by right-clicking its entry either on the Desktop or the Start menu or the Search results window and choose Properties from the pop-up context menu.
2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab in the Properties window and check the box next to the Run this program as an administrator option before saving the changes by clicking OK or Apply.

3. Make sure you confirm any dialogs which may appear which should prompt you to confirm the choice with admin privileges and Origin should launch with admin privileges from the next startup. Open it by double-clicking its icon, click the Origin option from the menu bar and choose Application Settings from the menu which will appear.
4. Navigate to the Origin In-Game tab and change the slider under it to Off. Reopen Battlefield 1 and check to see if the crashing problem persists!

Solution 6: Clear Your Browsing Data

Since the game uses Battlelog to launch using your browser with the Battlelog plugin (or without), it makes sense that your browsing data needs to be in perfect shape in order for everything to go through error-free. Follow the instructions below in order to clear the browsing data for your favorite browsers!

Google Chrome:

1. Clear the browsing data in Google Chrome by clicking the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the browser. After that, click on More tools and then Clear browsing data.
2. In order to clear everything, choose the beginning of time as the time period and select what data you wish to get rid of. We recommend you clear out the cache and cookies.

3. Restart your computer again and check if the same error still appears when trying to join a server in Battlefield 3.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser by double-clicking its icon on your Desktop or by searching for it in the Start menu.
2. Click on the library-like button located at the upper right part of the browser’s window (left from the menu button) and navigate to History >> Clear Recent History…

3. There are quite a few options for you to manage now. Under the Time range to clear setting, choose “Everything” by clicking the arrow which will open the dropdown menu.
4. Click on the arrow next to Details where you can see just what will be deleted when you select the Clear history option as the meaning is not the same as on other browsers and it includes all types of browsing data.

5. We recommend you choose Cookies before you click on Clear Now. Wait for the process to finish and restart your browser. Check to see if the problem is gone now.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Open your Edge browser by either clicking its icon at the taskbar or by searching for it in the Start menu.
2. After the browser opens, click on the three horizontal dots located at the top right part of the browser and select Settings.
3. Under Clear Browsing Data section, click on Choose What To Clear.

4. Keep the first four options checked and clear this data. Check to see if the “Waiting for game to exit” error still appears when trying to join a server in Battlefield 3!