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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If Black Ops 6 is stuck on “Waiting for relay,” shows “relay disconnected,” or kicks you back to the title screen, treat it as a connection symptom—not a diagnosis. There is no confirmed universal fix. Check Activision and platform service status first, then work through low-risk network checks before changing router settings.
Check whether Call of Duty or your platform is having an outage
Before changing your home network, check Activision’s Online Services status and the network status for your platform. Activision notes that a platform service alert can coincide with connectivity problems. Status can change, so check the live pages while the error is happening; a status result by itself does not identify the cause of your relay message.
Activision’s Black Ops 6 connection guide is dated October 23, 2024. Its known-issues page displayed an update date of July 10, 2026 and did not list this error in the displayed items. That list can change, and not seeing the message there does not rule out a related issue.
Try the low-risk checks first
- Restart Black Ops 6. Close the game fully, reopen it, and test the connection.
- Restart your router. Reboot it using its normal controls, allow it to reconnect to the internet, then test the game again. Make one change at a time so you can tell whether anything helped.
- Reduce network traffic. Pause large downloads and high-bandwidth streams on your network, then try joining a match or party again.
- Try wired Ethernet if available. Activision Support says, “We strongly recommend using a wired Ethernet connection during online gameplay.” Use Ethernet as a way to check whether Wi-Fi reliability is contributing; it is not a guaranteed fix for this specific error.
Test router settings one configuration at a time
If the basic checks do not help, Activision’s guide lays out separate router tests. Do not turn on UPnP and port forwarding together as a generic fix: test the configurations in sequence, and return to your prior settings if a test does not help.
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- First test: UPnP on, port forwarding off. Apply that configuration and check the game.
- Second test: UPnP off, port forwarding on. If the first configuration fails, use port forwarding with a static IP address for your console, then test again. Follow Activision’s guide for the relevant platform’s port details.
- Last resort test for consoles only: DMZ. Activision describes trying DMZ with port forwarding off. Do not apply this instruction to a PC. After testing, remove the console’s static IP address from the router’s DMZ. Activision explicitly warns: “Once you have tested DMZ, be sure to remove your Static IP address from your router’s DMZ.”
These are troubleshooting alternatives, not settings to stack. Router menus differ, so consult your router’s documentation if you are unsure how to change or restore a setting.
Check filtering features if your router has them
Some routers and gaming-network products have geo-filtering, denied-device lists, or blocked-server entries. If you use one, check whether a relevant device or server was blocked and temporarily undo only a clearly relevant rule to test. Individual Netduma users have reported relay problems resolving after removing a denied entry or disabling Geo-filter, but those reports are specific cases—not proof that filtering causes the error for everyone.
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An “Open NAT” reading does not necessarily establish that the relay connection is working: one Netduma user reported Open NAT while the relay remained disconnected. Treat NAT status as a useful detail to share with support, not as a definitive diagnosis.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consider ISP or PC-specific troubleshooting
Ask your ISP about persistent connection trouble
If Activision’s steps do not resolve the issue, its guide recommends contacting your internet service provider. You can ask whether your connection uses carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), but do not assume CGNAT is the cause based on “Waiting for relay” alone. The official Black Ops 6 guide does not identify it as the specific cause; the CGNAT suggestion comes from secondary guidance, not a confirmed diagnosis. There is also no established basis here for buying a new router or a VPN as a fix.
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When contacting your ISP or Activision Support, provide your platform, whether you use Wi-Fi or Ethernet, your NAT status, router model, and the checks you have already tried. That gives support concrete details to investigate.
On PC, verify the game files before reinstalling
A secondary troubleshooting guide suggests using your game launcher’s verify or repair option to check for damaged or missing files. The exact menu depends on the launcher. Consider reinstalling only if simpler connection checks and file repair have failed; file verification is not an established universal fix for a relay connection problem.
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