Poker Town - Stuck on 26% Loading

Hi everyone! I can confirm that Poker Town is working on the Pogo website itself, which is actually good news!  

What may be happening is something on your individual setup (configuration of your device) is blocking the game from completing its connection to the game servers, and it's getting stuck at that 26% point every time.

Why 26% specifically?

Unlike some games on Pogo, Poker Town is a live real-time multiplayer game. That means at a certain point during loading it needs to reach out and make a live connection to EA's game servers to find other players. For some of you, something on your computer or network is silently blocking that connection — the game gets to that handshake point, can't get through, and just stops. There's no error message, it just stalls. 

This is no one's fault and just the way modern technology is designed now for all of us. Our devices update constantly—browsers, operating systems, apps and each update can quietly reset permissions, alter cookies, or change how certain settings behave.

Here are the steps to try and resolve the 26% handshake, starting with the most likely causes:

Step 1 Try your browser in Private or Incognito Mode. This bypasses your extensions and cached data in one quick test:

• Chrome or Edge: Press Ctrl + Shift + N
• Firefox: Press Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari on iPhone/iPad/Mac: Tap or click the tabs icon and select Private

 

Go to Pogo and try loading Poker Town. If it loads past 26% in private mode, a browser extension is your culprit — move to the next step.

Step 2 Disable your browser extensions: The most common offenders are uBlock Origin, AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, Privacy Badger and any VPN extensions. Once you find the culprit you can usually add pogo.com to its whitelist so you don't have to disable it permanently.

• Go to your browser Settings > Extensions
• Turn them all off temporarily and test Poker Town
• If it works, turn them back on one at a time to find the one causing the problem.

 

Step 3 Check your Antivirus or Security Software. Multiplayer games need to make outgoing live connections that regular single player games do not. Many antivirus programs block these silently:

• Open your antivirus or security software
• Look for a Firewall, Web Shield or Network Protection section
• Add pogo.com as a trusted site in your security software settings
• Test Poker Town

 

Step 4 Check for a VPN

If you use a VPN on your device or router, try turning it off and loading Poker Town. VPNs frequently interfere with real-time multiplayer game connections and can cause exactly this kind of loading failure.

Step 5 Restart your router (Not just your computer your actual router or modem) Routers can get into a state where they block certain types of live network connections, and a full power cycle often clears it. This is especially worth trying if you haven't restarted your router in a while.

• Unplug it from the wall completely
• Wait a minute or two
• Plug it back in and wait for it to fully reconnect
• This is Power Cycling your Modem/Router
• Try Poker Town again

 

🤓Fun fact: Modems/Routers need to be cleaned and updated as well; they are like little computers - storing information and receive updates.

Step 6 Clear your browser cache completely. Poker Town is a new game that has received several updates since launch. Old cached data can cause it to get stuck mid-load (please write down any saved passwords, this step will have you log in again to any websites you have saved passwords on).

• Chrome/Edge/Firefox: Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, set time range to All Time, check Cached images and files and Cookies and site data, then click Clear
• Safari on Mac: Go to Safari menu > Clear History, select All History
• Safari on iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data
• Close your browser completely, reopen and try Poker Town again.

 

Step 7 Try a different browser. If you are using Edge, try Chrome or Firefox. If you are using Chrome, try Firefox or Edge. All three are free to download. If the game loads in a different browser, you have your answer and can keep using that browser for going forward. If you are a Desktop or Laptop user, consider using a PWA for Pogo, more on that here > How to install PWA in Windows

Because Pogo is a browser‑based gaming site, it’s essential to keep our device and browser fully updated, clean, configured and have enough storage and memory available for everything to work/load properly. If you run into issues while playing, here are the most common troubleshooting steps to try:

• Outdated browser versions
• Outdated operating system (OS)
• Browser extensions or add‑ons that interfere with game scripts
• Corrupted cache or cookies (multiple ways to clean our devices)
• Device performance limitations (older hardware, low memory, etc.)
• Outdated graphics drivers (huge for gamers - this is loading, visuals and playing. #1 cause of freezing/loading issues)
• Hardware acceleration settings (on or off can affect performance differently)
• Security software or firewalls blocking game components (can change how cookies, permissions, connections work)
• Multiple open tabs or heavy background usage
• Power‑saving or battery‑saving modes reducing system performance
• VPNs or proxy connections slowing or blocking game traffic
• Router/Internet issues (modems and routers are like little computers and need maintenance)
• Pop‑up blockers interfering with game windows or scripts
• For Apple Users: Troubleshooting Guide for Apple Devices
• For Windows 10 Users: Information for Windows 10 Users on Pogo: Understanding Recent Changes | EA Forums - 12897951

 

Please take a moment to review the troubleshooting guide. These system checks aren’t just important for Pogo, they help keep our devices clean, updated, and secure.

If you have any further questions or need any further help, please do not hesitate to reach out again. Together with other players and our EA Community Managers, will be happy to offer you more support.

💮 Friendly reminder: Community Manager EA_Lanna is asking specific questions, if you have not already, please reply to any questions she may be asking. Thank you kindly.