How to Fix Dragon Ball Legends Not Working or Crashing: The Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide
Dragon Ball Legends is undoubtedly one of the most visually stunning and mechanically deep mobile games available today. However, nothing breaks the immersion of a high-stakes PvP battle or a dramatic story sequence quite like a sudden crash or a “Communication Error” message. If you are reading this, you are likely experiencing frustrations where Dragon Ball Legends is not working as intended.
Whether the game is stuck on the loading screen, crashing during character summons, or refusing to open entirely, these issues can stem from various sources—ranging from server-side maintenance to local hardware limitations. As a player, you deserve a smooth experience. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap to diagnose and fix Dragon Ball Legends crashing issues once and for all.
Understanding Why Dragon Ball Legends Crashes
Before diving into the solutions, it is essential to understand the “why.” Dragon Ball Legends is a resource-intensive game developed on the Unity engine. It requires high-speed data processing, stable internet, and significant graphical rendering power.
Common reasons for the game not working include:
- Insufficient RAM: Your device may not have enough memory to handle the high-definition assets.
- Corrupted Cache: Temporary files can become corrupted after an update.
- Server Maintenance: Bandai Namco often takes the servers offline for updates.
- Network Instability: The game’s real-time PvP nature makes it extremely sensitive to “jitter” or packet loss.
- Incompatible Software: Running the game on a rooted device or an outdated OS can cause instability.
Common Symptoms of Dragon Ball Legends Issues
Identifying the specific way the game fails can help you choose the right fix. Do any of these sound familiar?
1. The Infinite Loading Screen
You open the app, the “Goku and Shallot” splash screen appears, but the loading bar never moves. This is often a sign of a handshake failure between your device and the game servers.
2. Crashing During PvP or Co-op
This is the most frustrating issue. The game closes abruptly in the middle of a match. This usually points toward memory management issues or an unstable connection that triggers the game’s anti-cheat/stability protocols.
3. “Communication Error” Pop-ups
Frequent error codes like CR900501 or CR732761 usually indicate that your local network is struggling to maintain a consistent ping with the Dragon Ball Legends servers.
Step 1: Check System Requirements and Server Status
Before performing technical resets, ensure the problem isn’t out of your control.
Verify Official Server Status
If thousands of players are experiencing the same issue, the problem is on Bandai Namco’s end.
- Check the official Dragon Ball Legends Twitter (X) account.
- Visit community hubs like Reddit (r/DragonBallLegends) to see if others are reporting outages.
- If the game is under maintenance, you simply have to wait.
Check Minimum System Requirements
Dragon Ball Legends has evolved. Older devices that used to run the game might now struggle.
- Android: Requires Android 6.0 or higher and at least 3GB of RAM (4GB+ recommended).
- iOS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 6s and newer.
Step 2: Basic Troubleshooting (The Quick Fixes)
Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective. Try these before moving to advanced settings.
Restart Your Device
A simple restart clears the temporary memory (RAM) and stops background processes that might be interfering with the game. This should always be your first step.
Toggle Airplane Mode
If you are facing connection errors, toggle Airplane Mode on for 10 seconds and then turn it off. This forces your device to reconnect to the nearest cell tower or refresh its Wi-Fi lease.
Update the App
Ensure you are running the latest version of Dragon Ball Legends. Visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, search for the game, and check if an “Update” button is available. Running an outdated version will result in a forced “Communication Error.”
Step 3: Advanced Fixes for Android Users
Android offers more granular control over app management, which is helpful when Dragon Ball Legends keeps crashing.
Clear App Cache (Not Data!)
The cache stores temporary files to speed up loading. If these files are corrupted, the game will fail.
- Open Settings on your Android device.
- Navigate to Apps or Application Manager.
- Find Dragon Ball Legends.
- Tap on Storage.
- Tap Clear Cache.
Note: Do NOT tap “Clear Data” unless you have linked your account to Google or Bandai Namco, as this will delete your local save file.
Disable Battery Optimization
Android’s “Battery Optimization” feature can sometimes “kill” the game process if it thinks it’s consuming too much power.
- Go to Settings > Battery.
- Select Battery Optimization or Background Usage Limits.
- Find Dragon Ball Legends and set it to “Don’t Optimize” or “Unrestricted.”
Enable Force 4x MSAA (For High-End Devices)
If you have a powerful phone but experience graphical glitches:
- Enable Developer Options (Tap “Build Number” 7 times in “About Phone”).
- Inside Developer Options, find Force 4x MSAA and toggle it on. This can sometimes stabilize the Unity engine rendering.
Step 4: Advanced Fixes for iOS (iPhone/iPad) Users
iOS is more restrictive, but there are still ways to troubleshoot.
Offload the App
“Offloading” deletes the app but keeps your documents and data. This is great for fixing corrupted binaries.
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Find Dragon Ball Legends.
- Tap Offload App.
- Once finished, tap Reinstall App.
Check Storage Space
iOS devices need at least 10-15% of free space to function correctly. If your storage is almost full, the game won’t have enough “swap space” to run its assets, leading to frequent crashes.
Step 5: Fixing Connection and Communication Errors
If you can get into the game but keep getting disconnected, the issue is your network.
Switch Between Wi-Fi and Mobile Data
Sometimes a Wi-Fi router has a firewall or a DNS setting that blocks the game’s ports. Try switching to 4G/5G to see if the error persists. If it works on data, you need to reset your router.
Change DNS Settings
Using a faster DNS can reduce latency and prevent communication errors.
- For Wi-Fi: Set your DNS to Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1).
- This often solves the “Stuck on Loading” issue.
Disable VPNs
Dragon Ball Legends has strict regional locks for PvP. If you are using a VPN, the game may flag your connection as suspicious or fail to find a match, resulting in a crash or error code. Turn off any VPN or Ad-blocker apps (like AdGuard) before launching the game.
Step 6: Optimizing In-Game Settings for Stability
If the game opens but feels sluggish or crashes during heavy animations (like Legendary Finishes), you need to lower the graphical burden.
- Open Dragon Ball Legends.
- Go to Menu > Other > Options.
- Navigate to the Graphics tab.
- Lower the Graphics Quality: Set it to “Low” or “Medium.”
- Turn on Energy Saving Mode: This caps the frame rate, which reduces heat and prevents the CPU from throttling.
- Download All Data: Go to the Title Screen > Support > Download All. This downloads all game assets at once so the game doesn’t have to fetch them during a match, which is a common cause of mid-battle crashes.
Step 7: The Last Resort – Reinstalling the Game
If nothing else works, you may need a clean installation.
CRITICAL WARNING: Before you uninstall, ensure your account is linked!
- Go to Menu > Other > Data Transfer Settings.
- Link your account to Google, Facebook, or Bandai Namco ID.
- If you do not do this, you will lose your Chrono Crystals and all your characters permanently.
How to perform a clean reinstall:
- Uninstall the app.
- Restart your phone.
- Download Dragon Ball Legends from the official store.
- Upon opening, use the Transfer Data option to recover your account.
Expert Tips to Prevent Future Crashes
To keep Dragon Ball Legends running smoothly in the long run, follow these professional maintenance tips:
- Avoid Overheating: Playing while charging generates immense heat. Heat leads to thermal throttling, which is the #1 cause of frame drops and crashes in mobile gaming.
- Close Background Apps: Apps like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube consume significant RAM. Close them before starting a PvP session.
- Regular Cache Clears: Make it a habit to clear the game cache after every major “Mega Update” (e.g., Anniversary or Legends Festival).
- Monitor Router Traffic: If others in your house are streaming 4K video while you play PvP, your “ping” will spike, leading to communication errors.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why does Dragon Ball Legends keep crashing on my new phone?
Newer phones often use new chipsets (like the latest Snapdragon or Apple A-series) that might not be fully optimized by the developers yet. Additionally, ensure that “Game Mode” settings on your phone aren’t interfering with the app’s permissions.
Can I play Dragon Ball Legends on an Emulator?
While possible, emulators like BlueStacks or LDPlayer are not officially supported. Bandai Namco frequently updates its anti-cheat software, which may cause the game to crash or lead to an account ban if played on an emulator.
What should I do if I get Error Code CR900501?
This is a general communication error. It usually means your IP address has changed or the connection was interrupted. Restarting your router and clearing the game cache usually fixes this.
Why is the game so laggy after an update?
After an update, the game needs to re-index files. Using the “Download All” feature in the settings menu is the best way to eliminate post-update lag.
Does “Energy Saving Mode” affect PvP performance?
It limits the frame rate to 30 FPS. While it makes the game less “smooth” to the eye, it significantly improves stability on mid-range devices by preventing the phone from overheating.
Conclusion
Fixing Dragon Ball Legends not working issues usually comes down to managing your device’s resources and ensuring a stable network path to the servers. By following this guide—from basic restarts to advanced DNS changes and in-game optimizations—you can minimize downtime and get back to climbing the PvP ranks.
Remember, the most important step is to always back up your data via Data Transfer settings. Technical glitches are temporary, but losing a high-level account is permanent. Keep your device cool, your cache clean, and your connection stable, and you will enjoy the best experience that Dragon Ball Legends has to offer.
