Fix Hades Crash at Startup or Not Launching Problem

Hades is a fast-moving dungeon crawler that seems to be crawling to the top of Steam. The game has you defying the god of death and hacking and slashing your way out of the Underworld. However, players who recently downloaded the game are reporting Hades crash at startup or failing to launch. It’s frustrating as you cannot even launch the game. Don’t worry, we will help you address the issue. Scroll down to know how.   

Causes and Fix for Hades Crash at Startup or Not Launching Problem

If your system does not meet the minimum system requirements to play the Hades, especially the GPU and the Processor, crash can happen. Here are the system requirements to play the game.

When it comes to games crashing and not launching, there are a range of contributing problems. We will try to cover the most obvious and those that have worked for other players.

Fix 1: Get the Latest Driver Software

One of the most common reasons, users are experiencing the Hades crash at startup or launch is due to outdated graphics card driver software. Quite a number of users were able to resolve the crash by simply downloading the latest driver software for the game. Here is the link to download the latest software for AMD and NVIDIA.

Fix 2: Verify the Game Files

If you are still experiencing the issue, the problem could be corruption of game files. Both the Steam and the Epic launcher client provides you the option to verify and repair game files. For Steam follow the path and step – Library > Hades > right-click > Properties > Local Files > click Verify Integrity of Game Files…

From the Epic Games Launcher – Library > Hades > click on 3 dots near the title and select Verify. Check if the Hades crash at startup or not launching problem still occurs.

Fix 3: Run the Game and Launcher with Admin Permission

If the game executable does not have the admin permission, it can crash. Therefore, provide admin permission to the launcher as well as the game executable. Locate the .exe file of the game and launcher > right-click > select Properties > go to Compatibility tab > check Run this program as an administrator > Save the changes.

Perform the above steps for both the game and the launcher.

Fix 4: Disable McAfee’s Real-Time Scanning

Try turning off the antivirus on your system as well as the Windows defender and play the game. McAfee Antivirus software is known to have issue with the game. The antivirus automatically quarantines the game’s save data, which can lead to crash. Hence, disable McAfee’s Real-Time Scanning and you should be able to play without the Hades crash at startup.    

Other Solutions you Can Try

1. Outdated game – It highly unlikely this is the cause of the Hades crash at startup as the game has just released, so skip this fix. If you are reading the post on a later date, ensure that the latest patch for the game is installed.
2. Often when the Windows is outdated it can lead to programs crashing. Hence, ensure that you have the latest Windows update. With every new update, some of the old bugs are fixed.
3. If the above solutions failed to resolve Hades crash at startup, consider this fix. A problem such as corrupt or missing Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable can also be the reason behind the crash. Therefore, download and install the latest Visual C++ redistributable.  
4. If you are running the game via Steam, the launch has a feature to repair game files. Missing or corrupted game files is one of the most obvious reasons behind a crash at startup or the game failing to launch. The corruption of files can occur while you are installing, updating, or over the course of time.
5. Exiting the game from fullscreen mode and running it on windowed also eliminates the crash in some cases as the game consumes fewer resources. So, that’s something you can try.
6. Another major area of concern is the graphics card. An outdated or corrupted driver software of the GPU will most definitely lead to a crash.
7. The Steam and Discord overlay is known to act up games leading to crash, especially after the intro video. So, disable the overlays of both the software to resolve the issue. In fact, if you are struggling with crashes, the best thing to do is perform a clean boot and try to run the software. Quite a number of third-party software are responsible for crashing the Hades.
8. Another cause of the crash can be the antivirus software. Disable it momentarily and launch the game. If the game works, you need to set an exception on the respective software.
9. Finally, but very important, you need to provide the game admin permission in order to avoid Hades crash at startup or not launching problem.   

Hope this guide was helpful and you have resolved the Hades crash at startup or not launching problem. If you are experiencing problem like black screen, freezing or need detailed steps for any of the above solutions, comment below. If you have a more working solution, feel free to drop them in the comment as well.