[PC] How to Resolve Crashes in Darktide

After each large update, it is likely that mods will become incompatible with Darktide, until they have been updated by the mod author.

This is likely to result in crashes and other issues until the mods have been updated. You may need to perform a process of elimination to identify which mod is causing your crashes, disabling each mod one‑by‑one until the issue is no longer occurring.

If your PC does not meet the minimum requirements for Darktide, this can result in an unstable experience. Please ensure your PC meets the minimum requirements listed below:

Requires a 64‑bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64 bit) / Windows 11 (64 bit)
Processor: Intel i5‑6600 (3.30GHz) OR AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (3.4 GHz)
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 OR AMD Radeon RX 570
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 50 GB available space

If you aren’t sure whether a component meets the minimum requirements, you can use a comparison website such as UserBenchmark.

Step 1: Disable Steam Cloud Saving

If Steam Cloud saving is enabled for Darktide, this may automatically restore the AppData and consequently cause the issue to resurface. 

1. Navigate to your Steam library
2. Right-click Darktide
3. Select 'Properties'
4. On the 'General' tab, scroll down to  'Steam Cloud'
5. Disable 'Keep game saves in the Steam Cloud for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide'

Step 2: Delete AppData

NOTE: By deleting your AppData, operative loadouts and custom keybindings will be reset. You may wish to make a back-up of the directory in the event deleting your AppData does not work to resolve the issue. 

1. Press the Windows key + R
2. Enter %appdata% within the search input and select 'OK'
3. Navigate to: AppData\Roaming\Fatshark
4. Delete the entire 'Darktide' directory

Step 3: Verify Integrity of Game Files

You will then need to use the 'Verify Integrity of Game Files' option, which is accessible via the Steam client and will ensure the installation is complete.

1. Right-click Darktide in your Steam library sidebar
2. Select 'Properties'
3. Select the 'Local Files' tab
4. Select the 'Verify Integrity of Game Files' button
5. When complete, close and reopen Steam

NOTE: By deleting your AppData, operative loadouts and custom keybindings will be reset. You may wish to make a back-up of the directory in the event deleting your AppData does not work to resolve the issue. 

1. Press the Windows key + R
2. Enter %appdata% in the search input and select 'OK'
3. Navigate to: AppData\Roaming\Fatshark\MicrosoftStore
4. Delete the entire 'Darktide' directory

Then use the 'Verify and Repair' option via the Xbox App to ensure the installation is complete.

Please check if the Overwolf overlay is enabled on your PC, and disable it prior to starting Darktide.

NOTE: Overwolf are working with us to address the underlying issue. If your crashes no longer occur after disabling the Overwolf overlay, please let them know here.

This is not something we would conventionally recommend, but many players have had success in avoiding crashes by lowering their 'Worker Thread' count within the launcher's 'Settings' menu down to 1. This may negatively impact your performance, and we consider it to be only a short‑term solution whilst we work on underlying issues.

Darktide relies on the Visual C++ 2019 Redistributables, and a broken installation may result in an unstable experience.

1. Uninstall the Visual C++ 2019 Redistributables
2. Reinstall the Visual C++ 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 Redistributables: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170#visual-studio-2015-2017-2019-and-2022
   • You may be prompted with an option to repair, as opposed to install. In which case, you may proceed with the option to repair

Background applications — commonly overlays or hooks such as RivaTuner, ShadowPlay, Fraps, ReShade and AMD Chill — can interfere with Darktide.

A Selective Startup can help identify whether a background application is the cause of your crashes:
1. Press the Windows key, type msconfig, and select 'System Configuration'
2. On the 'General' tab, select 'Selective Startup'
3. Deselect 'Load startup Items'
4. Reboot your PC

If the crashes no longer occur after performing the Selective Startup, try re‑introducing your programs one‑by‑one to determine which is causing your crashes.

Broken or outdated GPU drivers may cause Darktide to crash. When updating your drivers, please perform a clean installation which will ensure all previous versions have been removed. This is particularly important if the GPU has been changed at any point.

[PC] How to Perform a Clean Re-Installation of Your NVIDIA GPU Drivers

[PC] How to Perform a Clean Re-Installation of Your AMD GPU Drivers

The Windows System File Checker will repair any Microsoft DLLs on your PC that may be preventing Darktide from playing correctly. For instructions on how to do this, please see: 

[PC] How to Run the Windows System File Checker

Unstable overclocks can result in Darktide crashing or becoming unresponsive. If any of your components are overclocked, we recommend reverting the component to its original clock.

Occasionally, crashes occur as a result of problematic RAM (Random‑Access Memory) components. We recommend running the Windows Memory Diagnostic and any other relevant utilities to identify memory‑related issues.

Occasionally, overheating may present as a loss of performance or crashes‑to‑desktop. To check whether any of your components are overheating, please see:

 [PC] How to Check If Your PC Components Are Overheating