I’ve had this problem for a month now, since the beginning of this thread. Atm the only solution I’ve found is to check your disk for errors (I wouldn’t dare to defrag an SSD..), For me, it makes the game normal for one launch. (although changing maps in game can bring the problem back)
The cause of bad fps is 99% GPU usage in game. The character selection doesn’t make unusual load, though. Maybe there’s a memory leak or a bad loop, I don’t know, but it’s been a month since I could last enjoy the game normally.
My system:
Windows 7 64-bit
i2500k overclocked to 4.1Ghz
Radeon HD 6950 DCUII (shaders unlocked with 6970 bios) with latest drivers
8 Gb of RAM
Intel SSD 240 Gb
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO GEN3 Motherboard