Image source: Arrowhead
Helldivers 2 has launched with much anticipation as the follow-up to a beloved PS4 title. Unfortunately, as with many multiplayer experiences these days, it’s suffering from its share of bugs and issues. From failing to join lobbies to game crashes upon pressing certain keys or encountering black screens, Helldivers 2 isn’t off to a smooth start. Here we’ll be breaking down how to fix crashing issues.
How to Fix All Helldivers 2 Crashing Issues
Crashing When Pressing ESC or O
Players experience crashes when pressing ESC to open the menu or O for the social tab. Here’s what worked for us:
- Disable Image/Resolution Scaling: Go to your graphics card’s control panel (Nvidia Control Panel/Geforce/AMD Adrenaline) and disable any image or resolution scaling settings.
- Monitor Configuration: If you’re using multiple monitors, try disabling the spare ones.
- Developer Update: The developers have acknowledged this issue and are planning to address it in an upcoming hotfix patch.
Helldivers 2 Crashing on Launch (GameGuard Related)
The game crashes on launch, related to GameGuard. Here’s a step-by-step to solve the problem:
- Navigate to the game’s bin folder (e.g., C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Helldivers 2\bin).
- Delete the GameGuard folder.
- Run helldivers2.exe as an administrator.
- When GameGuard reinstalls, add its folder to your antivirus whitelist.
- Restart your PC.
Tutorial Crash After Armor Change
The game crashes after the tutorial when attempting to change armor. To solve this one, complete the first mission before attempting to change your armor. This is a known bug, and the developers are working on a fix.
Crashing on Launch or Experiencing Black Screen
Players report a black screen followed by a crash, especially after the nGuard logo. Here’s what we’ve found works:
- Close Background Programs: Some software, like Rivatuner or Discord, may conflict with Helldivers 2. Try closing these programs.
- Restart Steam: A simple restart of Steam has helped some players.
- Update Drivers: Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date, as outdated drivers can cause issues.
- Launch as Administrator: Navigate to the game’s directory and launch the executable file as an administrator.
As an aside to the above solutions, we’d also recommend taking the following steps to mitigate crashing issues:
- Verify Game Files: In Steam, right-click Helldivers 2, select Properties, go to Local Files, and choose “Verify the integrity of game files.”
- Disable Steam Integration: In Steam, right-click Helldivers 2, select Properties, go to General, and untick “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has already acknowledged issues with Helldivers 2 and is working to resolve them. As ever it’s just a case of staying patient for now.
