diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 84095b5..87b4e6e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -321,6 +321,10 @@ if(BUILD_GAME)
             src/engine/core/scenes/SplashScreenLayer.h
             src/engine/core/gui/uiComponent/UiProgressbar.cpp
             src/engine/core/gui/uiComponent/UiProgressbar.h
+            src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.cpp
+            src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.h
+            src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.cpp
+            src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.h
     )
     target_compile_options(Dicewars_Siedler PRIVATE
             -Wall
diff --git a/assets/background.png b/assets/background.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..caecf8d
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/background.png differ
diff --git a/assets/background_square.png b/assets/background_square.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eec375f
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/background_square.png differ
diff --git a/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.cpp b/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.cpp
index ef263b8..554e405 100644
--- a/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ UiContainer::UiContainer(){
     uiPositioner.screenSpace.set(0.f, 0.f, 1.f, 1.f);
 }
 
+void UiContainer::setBackgroundTexture(GLuint textureID) {
+    backgroundTextureID = textureID;
+}
+
 bool UiContainer::isMouseOver(float mouseX, float mouseY) {
     for (const auto &child : children) {
         if (child->isMouseOver(mouseX, mouseY)) return true;
@@ -19,7 +23,13 @@ void UiContainer::onUpdate(float x) {
 
 }
 
-void UiContainer::onCollectRenderData(UiRenderBundle& render_bundle) {
-
+void UiContainer::onCollectRenderData(UiRenderBundle& renderBundle) {
+    if (backgroundTextureID.has_value()) {
+        GUITextureBuilder builder = GUITextureBuilder();
+        builder.Foreground(backgroundTextureID.value());
+        builder.Scale(glm::vec2(uiPositioner.screenSpace.width, uiPositioner.screenSpace.height));
+        builder.Position(glm::vec2(uiPositioner.screenSpace.x, uiPositioner.screenSpace.y));
+        renderBundle.addGUITexture(std::make_shared<GUITexture>(builder.Build()));
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.h b/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.h
index 486fb22..a626353 100644
--- a/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.h
+++ b/src/engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.h
@@ -4,15 +4,21 @@
 
 #ifndef DICEWARS_SIEDLER_UICONTAINER_H
 #define DICEWARS_SIEDLER_UICONTAINER_H
+#include <optional>
+
 #include "../uiComponent/UiComponent.h"
 
 
 class UiContainer : public UiComponent {
 public:
     UiContainer();
+    void setBackgroundTexture(GLuint textureID);
     bool isMouseOver(float mouseX, float mouseY) override;
     void onUpdate(float) override;
     void onCollectRenderData(UiRenderBundle& renderBundle) override;
+
+private:
+    std::optional<GLuint> backgroundTextureID;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.cpp b/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.cpp
index 61ed7f3..c5b568e 100644
--- a/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 #include "Scene.h"
 #include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
 
-void SceneManager::switchTo(std::unique_ptr<Scene> next) {
+void SceneManager::switchTo(std::unique_ptr<Scene> next, std::function<void()> onLoaded) {
+    onSceneLoaded = std::move(onLoaded);
     nextScene = std::move(next);
     std::vector<AssetRequest> requestedAssets = nextScene->getRequiredAssets();
     spdlog::debug("Required assets: {}", requestedAssets.size());
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ void SceneManager::update() {
             nextScene = nullptr;
             currentScene->onEnter();
             assetLoader.stop();
+
+            if (onSceneLoaded) {
+                onSceneLoaded();
+                onSceneLoaded = nullptr;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -45,3 +51,11 @@ void SceneManager::render() {
 }
 
 SceneManager::~SceneManager() = default;
+
+float SceneManager::getTransitionProgress() const {
+    if (assetLoader.getProgress().isDone()) {
+        return 1.0f;
+    } else {
+        return assetLoader.getProgress().fraction();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.h b/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.h
index 2621d5c..c3956ac 100644
--- a/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.h
+++ b/src/engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.h
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ class Scene;
 
 class SceneManager {
 public:
-    void switchTo(std::unique_ptr<Scene> next);
+    void switchTo(std::unique_ptr<Scene> next, std::function<void()> onLoaded = nullptr);
     void update();
     void render();
     ~SceneManager();
+
+    float getTransitionProgress() const;
 private:
     std::unique_ptr<Scene> currentScene;
     std::unique_ptr<Scene> nextScene;
@@ -22,6 +24,8 @@ private:
     AssetLoader assetLoader;
 
     bool isTransitioning = false;
+
+    std::function<void()> onSceneLoaded;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/engine/core/scenes/SplashScreenLayer.cpp b/src/engine/core/scenes/SplashScreenLayer.cpp
index c0da7aa..cb3ddbe 100644
--- a/src/engine/core/scenes/SplashScreenLayer.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/core/scenes/SplashScreenLayer.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "SplashScreenLayer.h"
 
+#include "SceneManager.h"
 #include "../../renderer/loader/AssetManager.h"
 #include "../../renderer/GUIRenderer.h"
 #include "../gui/uiComponent/UiImage.h"
@@ -29,7 +30,8 @@ void SplashScreenLayer::onUpdate() {
     Dimensions rootParent {0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 1.0f};
     rootContainer->uiPositioner.compute(rootParent);
 
-    progressbar->setProgress(progressbar->getProgress() + 0.01f);
+    const auto loadingProgress = Application::getInstance().sceneManager->getTransitionProgress();
+    progressbar->setProgress(loadingProgress);
 }
 
 void SplashScreenLayer::onAttach() {
diff --git a/src/engine/renderer/loader/async/AssetLoader.cpp b/src/engine/renderer/loader/async/AssetLoader.cpp
index e14ecc1..e7b38a8 100644
--- a/src/engine/renderer/loader/async/AssetLoader.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/renderer/loader/async/AssetLoader.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ void AssetLoader::scheduleAsset(const AssetRequest &assetRequest) {
 }
 
 void AssetLoader::start() {
-    running = true;
-    loadingThread = std::thread(&AssetLoader::loadingThreadFunc, this);
+    if (!running) {
+        running = true;
+        loadingThread = std::thread(&AssetLoader::loadingThreadFunc, this);
+    }
 }
 
 void AssetLoader::stop() {
diff --git a/src/game/DicewarsApp.cpp b/src/game/DicewarsApp.cpp
index 330359f..e19c482 100644
--- a/src/game/DicewarsApp.cpp
+++ b/src/game/DicewarsApp.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@
 
 #include "../engine/core/scenes/SceneManager.h"
 #include "../engine/core/scenes/SplashScreen.h"
+#include "scenes/main/MainMenu.h"
 
 DicewarsApp::DicewarsApp() {
-    sceneManager->switchTo(std::make_unique<SplashScreen>());
+    sceneManager->switchTo(std::make_unique<SplashScreen>(), [this]() {
+        sceneManager->switchTo(std::make_unique<MainMenu>());
+    });
 }
diff --git a/src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.cpp b/src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74099cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+//
+// Created by sebastian on 24.04.26.
+//
+
+#include "MainMenu.h"
+
+#include "MainUiLayer.h"
+
+void MainMenu::onEnter() {
+    addLayer(std::make_unique<MainUiLayer>());
+}
+
+void MainMenu::onExit() {
+    for (const auto& layer: layers) {
+        layer->onDetach();
+    }
+}
+
+std::vector<AssetRequest> MainMenu::getRequiredAssets() {
+    std::vector<AssetRequest> requests;
+    requests.emplace_back(TextureRequest("mainCover", "assets/background.png"));
+    return requests;
+}
diff --git a/src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.h b/src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0043bba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/scenes/main/MainMenu.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+//
+// Created by sebastian on 24.04.26.
+//
+
+#ifndef MAINMENU_H
+#define MAINMENU_H
+#include "../../../engine/core/scenes/Scene.h"
+
+
+class MainMenu: public Scene {
+public:
+    void onEnter() override;
+    void onExit() override;
+    std::vector<AssetRequest> getRequiredAssets() override;
+
+};
+
+
+
+#endif //MAINMENU_H
diff --git a/src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.cpp b/src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2c9f40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+//
+// Created by sebastian on 24.04.26.
+//
+
+#include "MainUiLayer.h"
+#include "../../../engine/renderer/loader/AssetManager.h"
+
+void MainUiLayer::onAttach() {
+    rootContainer = std::make_unique<UiContainer>();
+    rootContainer->setBackgroundTexture(AssetManager::getTexture("mainCover")->getTextureID());
+
+}
+
+void MainUiLayer::onDetach() {
+
+}
+
+void MainUiLayer::onRender() {
+    UiRenderBundle renderBundle;
+    if (rootContainer) {
+        rootContainer->collectRenderData(renderBundle);
+    }
+
+    auto guis = renderBundle.getGUITextures();
+    guiRenderer->render(guis);
+}
+
+void MainUiLayer::onUpdate() {
+    Dimensions rootParent {0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 1.0f};
+    rootContainer->uiPositioner.compute(rootParent);
+}
diff --git a/src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.h b/src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c65adc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/scenes/main/MainUiLayer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+//
+// Created by sebastian on 24.04.26.
+//
+
+#ifndef MAINUILAYER_H
+#define MAINUILAYER_H
+#include "../../../engine/layer/Layer.h"
+#include "../../../engine/renderer/GUIRenderer.h"
+#include "../../../engine/renderer/loader/Loader.h"
+#include "../../../engine/core/gui/uiMain/UiContainer.h"
+
+class MainUiLayer: public Layer {
+public:
+    MainUiLayer(): guiRenderer(std::make_unique<GUIRenderer>(Loader::instance())) {}
+    void onAttach() override;
+    void onDetach() override;
+    void onRender() override;
+    void onUpdate() override;
+private:
+    std::unique_ptr<GUIRenderer> guiRenderer;
+    std::unique_ptr<UiContainer> rootContainer;
+};
+
+
+
+#endif //MAINUILAYER_H