hardlock

hard +‎ lock

hardlock (plural hardlocks)

1. (video games) A situation where a game becomes unplayable, making further progress or action impossible, typically due to a design flaw or glitch.

hardlock (third-person singular simple present hardlocks, present participle hardlocking, simple past and past participle hardlocked)

1. (video games, transitive or intransitive) To be in or cause a hardlock; to transition to becoming unplayable.

• softlock

• What Does Softlock and Hardlock Mean in Video Games? MakeUseOf, March 24, 2022