System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

[sentry]

Sentry Issue: UNITY-EXPLORER-PNT

System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
  File "C:/workspace/workspace/p/Explorer/Assets/DCL/Infrastructure/Utility/Networking/DCLWebSocket.cs", line 99, in CloseAsync
  File "C:/workspace/workspace/p/Explorer/Assets/DCL/Infrastructure/Utility/Networking/DCLWebSocket.cs", line 32, in Dispose
  File "C:/workspace/workspace/p/Explorer/Assets/DCL/Infrastructure/CrdtEcsBridge/JsModulesImplementation/ClientWebSocketApiImplementation.cs", line 100, in CloseAsync
  File "C:/workspace/workspace/p/Explorer/Assets/DCL/Infrastructure/CrdtEcsBridge/JsModulesImplementation/ClientWebSocketApiImplementation.cs", line 53, in CreateWebSocket
  File "C:/workspace/workspace/p/Explorer/Assets/DCL/Infrastructure/SceneRuntime/Apis/Modules/WebSocket/WebSocketApiWrapper.cs", line 112, in CloseAsync
...
(245 additional frame(s) were not displayed)

This issue was automatically created by Sentry via Explorer Alpha Github Issue Creation

[github-actions]

Automated Triage

Issue type	bug
Affected area	WebSocket networking infrastructure
Feature category	Primary (Stability & Crashes)
Severity	SEV-2 → 1-high

Reasoning: This is a NullReferenceException crash in the WebSocket communication layer (DCLWebSocket.cs, ClientWebSocketApiImplementation.cs), which is critical infrastructure for scene loading, world access, and SDK scene runtime. The exception occurs during websocket cleanup/disposal, likely triggered by a failure during websocket creation. According to the triage categories, all crashes are Primary category issues. Since it's being reported by Sentry (production monitoring), it affects real users. This meets SEV-2 criteria: a crash in primary infrastructure that breaks features for some users while the platform partially continues.

Labels applied: bug, 1-high, web-requests

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Auto-triaged. If labels are incorrect, update issue triage categories or severity policy and re-run triage.

[github-actions]

This appears to be a duplicate of #8523, which is itself a NullReferenceException crash in the WebSocket close operation (CloseAsync method in DCLWebSocket.cs). Both issues show similar stack traces with errors occurring during websocket cleanup.

The original issue #8523 was closed on 2026-05-13. Since this is a recurring occurrence, it may indicate either a regression or that the original fix was incomplete.

Please follow issue #8523 for ongoing updates on this WebSocket NullReferenceException crash.

[github-actions]

Automated Triage

Issue type	bug
Affected area	WebSocket Networking
Feature category	Primary (Stability & Crashes)
Severity	SEV-2 → 1-high

Reasoning: This is a NullReferenceException crash in the websocket cleanup path (DCLWebSocket.CloseAsync). Crashes fall under the Primary category "Stability & Crashes" and warrant SEV-2 classification. Websocket connectivity is critical for scene loading, entity synchronization, and real-time communication — failures here directly impact platform functionality.

Labels applied: bug, 1-high, web-requests, sentry

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Auto-triaged. If labels are incorrect, update issue triage categories or severity policy and re-run triage.