Shift At Midnight Loading, Lobby and Mic Help

Checked 9 October 2026. Developer announcements and the historical player reports below are different evidence. A patch saying it includes general fixes does not establish that your particular problem is solved.

Choose your symptom

• Cannot join a friend — Steam. July workaround documented; current beta not tested.
• Find Lobby stays on the bus screen — Steam. Early August player report; specific later fix not identified.
• Stops at the Kwalee logo or a black screen — Steam / Windows. Historical report; current cause and fix unverified.
• Voice stops during a shift — early PC reports. Audio controls updated; a microphone fix is not stated.
• Cursor, Esc menu or buttons stop responding — early PC reports. July acknowledgement; later fixes are not symptom-specific.
• Join Lobby clears the interface — Steam Deck report. Current compatibility and resolution unverified.

Latest developer updates

The latest returned announcement is a 1 October 2026 sale post. The latest gameplay changelog returned is 1 September 2026, which lists additional customers, Endless Mode changes, and general bug and crash fixes. It does not name a loading-screen, microphone or Kwalee-logo fix.

The 20 August update added individual player volume sliders and Steam cloud saves, alongside general bug and crash fixes. Start with an updated game and record the build or branch you are using when reporting a remaining problem.

Lobby and Find Lobby loading

Steam · July developer workaround, August loading report · current branch availability and outcome unverified.

Check your group’s storefront and build first. The developer’s pre-launch guidance separated Steam players from Xbox / PC Game Pass multiplayer; a beta setting is not evidence that cross-store play has become available. See where each version is sold.

For Steam lobby failures, the developer’s 22 July instructions were:

1. Open the game’s Steam Properties → Game Versions & Betas.
2. Enter the public beta access code networkissues.
3. Select network-issues-patch, if Steam still offers it, and let it update.
4. Everyone in the group must use that branch.

The developer described this as a temporary workaround. We have not tested whether it remains available or helps on the current build. Record your current branch before switching; the post makes no promise about save compatibility.

An early August player report connected this branch with a Find Lobby loading improvement. It does not establish a general loading fix. An empty result list also does not, by itself, establish a network failure or explain who is online.

Kwalee logo and black screen

Steam / Windows · reports dated 4–7 August · current resolution unverified.

Separate two symptoms when reporting:

• Windows stays responsive after the logos: a 7 August report describes a black screen after the publisher logos. The reporter said verifying files and reinstalling had not helped them.
• The monitor loses signal: a 4 August report describes the PC continuing to run while the display loses signal. This is a different symptom; the report is not a diagnosis of your hardware.

The August and September changelogs mention general crash fixes without naming these reports. Include whether Windows stayed responsive, when the screen changed, and any error shown. Do not describe a historical forum workaround as a guaranteed solution.

Microphone and game audio

PC player reports from early August · player volume controls added 20 August · a specific microphone fix is not stated in the checked announcements.

Proximity chat cutting out is different from losing all game sound. As general diagnostic checks, confirm your chosen microphone and system permission, then ask a teammate to check their individual volume setting for you. These checks are not developer-published fixes for the reported mid-session failure.

When reporting, note whether you can hear teammates, whether they can hear each other, and whether game music and effects still work. Include whether a restart changes the symptom. The screenshot’s volume slider alone cannot verify mic input.

Cursor and menu locks

PC reports · acknowledged 23 July · exact current resolution unverified.

The 23 July changelog said a later patch would address a crash followed by unresponsive cursor or buttons. Subsequent announcements list broader fixes, rather than stating that this exact issue is resolved. Earlier players also reported an Esc-menu lock while scanning an ID. Record whether a crash preceded the lock and which input still works; those are distinct reproduction steps.

Steam Deck lobby interface

Steam Deck · early August player report · current compatibility unverified.

An earlier report described Join Lobby clearing the clickable interface. We have not reproduced it on a current Steam Deck build. Include your SteamOS version, game branch and exact action in a bug report instead of assuming Windows launch advice applies.

Report a remaining problem

The latest gameplay post links the official Discord for bug and crash reports. The Steam Bugs forum is another existing channel. Include your platform, storefront, build or branch, the exact steps, and a screenshot or video if available.

For game mechanics rather than faults, use the emotion-detector guide or shift walkthrough.