Localization String Freeze PO Import Receipt Fails Selector Stuck on English - How to Fix

Problem: During August–September 2026 October Next Fest string freeze, the team files or reopens a Weblate PO drop into Ren'Py game/tl/, but Preferences still boots English, verify_localization_freeze.sh exits 3 or localization_freeze_ok stays false, and Steam Supported languages already claim CN/JP/KR.

Who is affected now: VN / Ren'Py teams following localization freeze evening and Ren'Py freeze preflight (Guide #49). This is recovery after freeze latch / PO reopen failed the player selector, not Weblate merge conflicts blocking export, not the ninety-second prevention gate alone, and not store short-description CJK overflow.

Fastest safe fix: Stop depot promotion → confirm freeze label + locale_manifest_v1.json paths → re-copy PO into tl_path folders → delete game/cache/ and stale .rpyc under tl/ → regenerate translations → Preferences probe on installed build → rewrite localization_freeze_receipt_v1.json → promote localization_freeze_ok: true.

Direct answer

English-only menus after a “frozen” PO import usually means path drift, stale bytecode, or a freeze receipt that was flipped without L3–L5. Fix on-disk game/tl/ + cache, then re-prove the freeze receipt—do not keep importing fuzzy PO while Weblate writes stay open.

Why this issue spikes in August–September 2026

1. Verbal freeze + late PO — writers reopen Weblate after L6 without a new freeze label.
2. tl_path drift — manifest points at game/tl/japanese while files landed under ja.
3. Stale .rpyc / cache — old English bytecode wins after PO overwrite.
4. Editor-only smoke — Launcher Language() works; installed exe still English.
5. Weblate keys as Ren'Py ids — Preferences buttons use zh_CN instead of map values (chinese).

Symptoms and search phrases

• “localization_freeze_ok false after PO import”
• Ren'Py language selector stuck English after Weblate
• verify_localization_freeze.sh MISSING tl:
• Steam lists Japanese; in-game Preferences English-only
• Weblate 100% but fest demo English menus
• po_import_reopen_allowed true without exception list

Root causes (check in order)

1. Freeze latch skipped — BUILD_RECEIPT flipped without Guide #49 L1–L6.
2. locale_manifest_v1 path drift — tl_path folders missing or wrong locale id.
3. Incomplete / fuzzy PO export — merge conflicts half-resolved (Weblate merge help).
4. Stale compiled translations — cache / .rpyc not cleared after import.
5. Preferences / language_map mismatch — buttons not wired to map values (Weblate map Guide).
6. Hash mismatch packaging — installer embeds old tl/ (PO-hash Guide).

Beginner path (first 25 minutes)

Prerequisites: Ren'Py project with game/tl/, jq, write access to release-evidence/localization/, current Weblate export ZIP, Guide #49 open.

1. Prove the failure:

jq -e '.localization_freeze_ok == true' \
  release-evidence/localization/*/LOCALIZATION_FREEZE_RECEIPT.json
# expect fail or false

Boot the installed build → Preferences → confirm non-English buttons missing or strings stay English.

2. Open locale_manifest_v1.json and walk paths:

MAN="release-evidence/localization/october-next-fest-2026/locale_manifest_v1.json"
jq -r '.locales[] | select(.in_game_required==true) | .tl_path' "$MAN" \
| while IFS= read -r p; do test -d "$p" || echo "MISSING: $p"; done

3. Re-copy PO from the freeze commit export into each tl_path (not a newer unfrozen Weblate tip unless you start a new freeze label).

4. Clear compiled state:

• Delete game/cache/
• Delete stale game/tl/**/*.rpyc if your workflow compiles beside sources
• Ren'Py Launcher → Generate Translations / lint clean

5. Preferences probe on installed distribution: switch to Japanese (or claimed fest locale) → main menu strings change → screenshot into smoke/.

6. Rewrite freeze receipt + BUILD_RECEIPT (below). Do not promote while Preferences stay English.

Developer path (recovery gates)

R1 — Pick the correct cousin

R2 — Manifest repair sketch

Ensure engine_code matches Preferences Language() ids and tl_path is a real directory:

{
  "id": "ja",
  "steam_language": "japanese",
  "engine_code": "japanese",
  "tl_path": "game/tl/japanese",
  "store_claim": true,
  "in_game_required": true
}

R4 — Rebuild after import

Follow default language + .rpyc rebuild before another PO drop. Hash audit with PO-hash Guide if the installer still embeds old bytes.

R6 — Receipt rewrite

{
  "schema": "localization_freeze_receipt_v1",
  "freeze_label": "october-next-fest-2026",
  "locked_utc": "2026-09-12T20:15:00Z",
  "locale_manifest_path": "release-evidence/localization/october-next-fest-2026/locale_manifest_v1.json",
  "weblate_freeze_commit": "abc123def",
  "writes_closed": true,
  "recovery": {
    "reason": "selector_stuck_english_after_po_import",
    "fix": "reimport_freeze_po_clear_cache_preferences_probe"
  },
  "gates": {
    "L1_manifest": "pass",
    "L2_tms_pin": "pass",
    "L3_tl_paths": "pass",
    "L4_store_parity": "pass",
    "L5_installed_smoke": "pass",
    "L6_receipt": "pass"
  },
  "localization_freeze_ok": true,
  "po_import_reopen_allowed": false
}

Promote:

{
  "localization_freeze_ok": true,
  "localization_freeze_receipt": "release-evidence/localization/october-next-fest-2026/LOCALIZATION_FREEZE_RECEIPT.json",
  "po_import_reopen_allowed": false
}

./scripts/verify_localization_freeze.sh \
  release-evidence/localization/october-next-fest-2026/LOCALIZATION_FREEZE_RECEIPT.json
jq -e '.localization_freeze_ok == true' release-evidence/BUILD_RECEIPT.json

Verification checklist

Prevention

1. Run Guide #49 before October store language freeze.
2. Never reopen PO without a new freeze_label + exception list.
3. Keep evening freeze tutorial L1–L6 as the ritual; Guide is the Ren'Py gate; this page is recovery.
4. Bookmark 14 Weblate freeze tools for export stacks.
5. Pair store parity with store-page QA localization resources.

Common mistakes

1. Flipping localization_freeze_ok while Preferences stay English.
2. Importing tip-of-Weblate after freeze without closing writes again.
3. Clearing only Editor cache and shipping the old distribution.
4. Treating merge-conflict RED as selector recovery (wrong help).
5. Using Steam language codes as Ren'Py Language() ids.

Related GamineAI reads

• Localization string freeze receipt evening
• Ren'Py freeze PO import preflight (Guide #49)
• Weblate PO + Preferences map
• PO-hash selector stuck English preflight
• Default language + .rpyc rebuild
• Weblate merge conflicts block freeze
• 14 free Weblate string-freeze PO export tools
• Official: Ren'Py Translation · Weblate docs · Steamworks languages

Freeze receipts lie when Preferences stay English—re-import freeze-commit PO, clear cache, probe an installed build, rewrite localization_freeze_receipt_v1.json, then latch localization_freeze_ok.