FIXED: “Preparing Game” Loop When Launching Sims 4 (EA App / Steam)
FIXED: “Preparing Game” Loop When Launching Sims 4 (EA App / Steam)
I want to share this because I spent days troubleshooting this issue and the fix turned out to be simple but completely unexpected.
The Symptom
Whenever I tried to launch The Sims 4 through the EA App (originally bought on Steam, later reinstalled through EA), I would get the “Preparing game…” window. It would pop up, disappear, come back, disappear again, and then nothing happened. The EA App would stay open on the library screen with no error message or crash report.
What I Tried
Here’s everything I did that did not work:
Cleared the EA App cache multiple times
Uninstalled and reinstalled both The Sims 4 and the EA App
Verified game files
Deleted AppData, Local, and ProgramData EA folders
Renamed the Sims 4 folder and rebuilt everything
Ran both EA App and Sims 4 as Administrator
Updated GPU drivers and reinstalled AMD Adrenalin
Installed chipset drivers, DirectX, and Visual C++ redistributables
Checked EA Background Service (set to automatic)
Rebuilt the missing Sims 4 registry key manually
Checked CPU/GPU temps and fan profiles
Disabled antivirus and OneDrive syncing
Ran DISM and SFC scans
Installed all Windows updates
None of this worked. EA App kept flashing “Preparing game” twice and doing nothing.
The Actual Cause
A few days earlier, I had been using melonDS (a Nintendo DS emulator) to play Style Savvy. I manually changed my system date and time to unlock in-game items faster. I forgot to change it back afterward.
The EA App uses your system clock to verify authentication certificates and game licenses. If your system date/time is incorrect (even by a single day), the token validation fails and the game silently aborts the launch process. That’s why it looks like it’s stuck on “Preparing game.”
The Fix
Open Windows Date & Time settings.
Turn on Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically.
Make sure your system clock shows the correct current time.
Restart the EA App and launch The Sims 4 again.
After fixing the date and time, The Sims 4 launched instantly with no issues.
Summary
If The Sims 4 or any EA App game is stuck in a “Preparing game” loop even after clearing cache, reinstalling, or repairing files, check your system clock first. The EA App will refuse to launch games if your computer’s date or time is incorrect.
