diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/managers/Assets.java b/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/managers/Assets.java
index d10f8d2..5f24b37 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/managers/Assets.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/managers/Assets.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ public class Assets {
     private static final HashMap<String, FileHandle> loadedFiles = new HashMap<>();
     private static boolean startLoadAll = false;
     private static boolean loadedAll = false;
+    private static Thread loadingThread = null;
     private static Texture textureWhite;
     private static Texture textureBlack;
 
@@ -119,8 +120,14 @@ public class Assets {
         assetManager.load("textures/ui/UI_Gcg_Icon_Close.png", Texture.class);
         assetManager.load("textures/ui/arrow-button-left.png", Texture.class);
         assetManager.load("textures/ui/arrow-button-right.png", Texture.class);
+        assetManager.load("textures/ui/close.png", Texture.class);
+        assetManager.load("textures/ui/close_hover.png", Texture.class);
+        assetManager.load("textures/ui/close_clicked.png", Texture.class);
         // "Load" unsupported file types as FileHandle
-        loadAny("videos/main_menu_background.webm");
+        loadingThread = new Thread(() -> {
+            loadAny("videos/main_menu_background.webm");
+        });
+        loadingThread.start();
     }
 
     public static boolean isLoadedAll() {
@@ -133,6 +140,14 @@ public class Assets {
 
     public static void waitUntilLoaded() {
         assetManager.finishLoading();
+        if (loadingThread != null) {
+            try {
+                loadingThread.join();
+            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+            }
+            loadingThread = null;
+        }
         if (startLoadAll) {
             loadedAll = true;
         }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/scenes/SettingsScene.java b/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/scenes/SettingsScene.java
index a2c385a..9564d9e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/scenes/SettingsScene.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/scenes/SettingsScene.java
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import org.vibecoders.moongazer.Game;
 import org.vibecoders.moongazer.State;
 import org.vibecoders.moongazer.Settings;
 import org.vibecoders.moongazer.managers.Assets;
-import org.vibecoders.moongazer.ui.UIImageButton;
+import org.vibecoders.moongazer.ui.UICloseButton;
 import org.vibecoders.moongazer.ui.UITextButton;
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public class SettingsScene extends Scene {
         mainPanel.row();
 
         // Back button
-        UIImageButton backButton = new UIImageButton("textures/ui/UI_Gcg_Icon_Close.png");
+        UICloseButton backButton = new UICloseButton();
         backButton.setSize(40, 40);
         backButton.setPosition(Gdx.graphics.getWidth() - 80, Gdx.graphics.getHeight() - 80);
         backButton.onClick(() -> {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/ui/UICloseButton.java b/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/ui/UICloseButton.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32d7148
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/ui/UICloseButton.java
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package org.vibecoders.moongazer.ui;
+
+import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Texture;
+import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d.TextureRegion;
+import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.ui.ImageButton;
+import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.utils.TextureRegionDrawable;
+import org.vibecoders.moongazer.managers.Assets;
+
+public class UICloseButton extends UIButton {
+    public UICloseButton() {
+        Texture closeTexture = Assets.getAsset("textures/ui/close.png", Texture.class);
+        Texture closeHoverTexture = Assets.getAsset("textures/ui/close_hover.png", Texture.class);
+        Texture closeClickTexture = Assets.getAsset("textures/ui/close_clicked.png", Texture.class);
+        TextureRegionDrawable drawable = new TextureRegionDrawable(new TextureRegion(closeTexture));
+        TextureRegionDrawable hoverDrawable = new TextureRegionDrawable(new TextureRegion(closeHoverTexture));
+        TextureRegionDrawable clickDrawable = new TextureRegionDrawable(new TextureRegion(closeClickTexture));
+        ImageButton.ImageButtonStyle style = new ImageButton.ImageButtonStyle();
+        style.imageUp = drawable;
+        style.imageDown = clickDrawable;
+        style.imageOver = hoverDrawable;
+        this.button = new ImageButton(style);
+        this.actor = button;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close.png b/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa239b9
Binary files /dev/null and b/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close.png differ
diff --git a/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close_clicked.png b/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close_clicked.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6fbfe9
Binary files /dev/null and b/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close_clicked.png differ
diff --git a/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close_hover.png b/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close_hover.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f6928f
Binary files /dev/null and b/app/src/main/resources/textures/ui/close_hover.png differ