Beta modes are always bug-ridden. Once you get your hands on a beta build of any game, it is like the developers declaring the experience will not be optimal and not to blame them for it. Recently, Blizzard’s GoTY title, Overwatch, is getting a sequel. The new competitive title, titled Overwatch 2, has entered a free-to-play beta stage. The game is already rock-solid, but several players have reported crashing issues. In this article, we will go over the best fixes to prevent your game from crashing.
How to Fix Overwatch 2 Crashes on Launch?
There are a lot of reasons why Overwatch 2 can crash on your system. The most viable fixes are listed below.
1. Check System Requirements
Overwatch 2 requires at least a Core i3 or an AMD Phenom X3 8650 processor, 6GB of RAM, coupled with at least a GTX 600 series or AMD Radeon HD 7000 series graphics card to get 1080p 30fps in the game. Overwatch 2 is not a particularly demanding game, so it can run on some quite old hardware with ease. However, if your system packs even weaker hardware, the game might crash at startup or in extremely demanding situations to protect your hardware from any form of damage. In this situation, consider upgrading your system.
2. Launch Overwatch 2 as an Administrator
Launching Overwatch 2 as an administrator also solves a lot of issues. To do this, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the .exe file or the desktop icon. A menu will appear.
- Click on “Run as Administrator”.
Alternatively, you can also follow these steps to default your game to run as an administrator.
- Select the .exe file or the desktop icon.
- Hit Alt+Enter at the same time. A window will pop up.
- From the menu, check the box next to “Run this software as an administrator”.
- Click on Apply, then hit OK.
3. Repair Game Files
At times, corrupt game files can also cause Overwatch 2 to crash. This is a very common issue and can keep happening all the time. Blizzard’s Battle.net software has an in-built “Repair” tool to scan and fix corrupt game files. So, you do not have to reinstall the game in its entirety. Follow these steps to fix your game:
- Launch the Battle.net client.
- Go to the library section, then head over to Overwatch 2 beta.
- Click on the little gear icon next to the Play tab, then select Scan and Repair from the list that appears.
- Wait for the client to completely check the game for any corrupt files or other issues. The process can take some time before you can play the game again.
4. Close Background Tasks
Unnecessary background tasks can take up a lot of memory which can cause the game to crash. You should close these tasks so that Overwatch 2 can access all resources possible. Head over to the task manager by hitting Ctrl+Shift+Esc at the same time, and locate all of the background tasks running on your system from the “Processes” tab. Close the ones that you won’t be using while playing Overwatch 2.
5. Disable Antivirus and Firewall
Although very unlikely, antivirus and the Windows Firewall programs can also cause Overwatch 2 to crash. You can disable the antivirus and firewall to check whether this solves your issue.
Follow these steps to disable Windows Firewall:
- Open up the Control panel.
- In the search box, type firewall. Open up Windows Firewall from the available results.
- Choose the “Turn Windows Firewall on or off” option from the left pane.
- Turn Windows Firewall off on both public and private networks.
- Reboot the computer.
Third-party antivirus programs will have various steps to disable their protection. We will list the steps for Windows Antivirus here.
- Open up Windows Settings.
- Head over to the Privacy and Security section.
- From the Security section, head over to Windows Security.
- Head over to the “Virus and threat protection” protection area. A new window will pop up.
- Head over to the “Manage Settings” section from under Virus & threat protection settings.
- Turn the radio button corresponding to Real-time Protection off.
- Now, reboot your computer.
6. Update GPU Drivers
Outdated GPU drivers can also cause Overwatch 2 to crash. Download the latest GPU drivers from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia by following the links below. After the driver version gets downloaded, install them.
Nvidia: https://www.nvidia.com/download/index.aspx
AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support
Intel: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download-center/home.html
You can also use Nvidia’s GeForce Experience or AMD’s Radeon Adrenaline software to update your drivers.
7. Set Power Plan (For Battery Run Devices Only)
If you are on a battery-run device, like a laptop, you can alter your power plan to give your system more juice. This will help the game with performance and might prevent it from crashing. To optimize your power plan, follow these steps:
- Hit Windows+S and open up Search.
- Then, type “Power Options”, and open the utility up.
- Head over to Additional power settings.
- Turn the High-performance toggle on.
- Reboot your PC.
These fixes should fix Overwatch 2 beta. If your game is still crashing, do not forget to reach out to Blizzard. They should be able to assist you further.