XCOM 2 Not Launching: How to Fix It [Easiest Steps]
XCOM 2 won't launch due to outdated graphics drivers or corrupted game files ⚡
XCOM 2 is a turn-based alien domination gameplay that keeps having launching issues for a while on different scenarios.
Many players on the Steam Discussions Board are currently reporting XCOM 2 not starting. A lot of them are complaining about the fact that the game is poorly optimized and that it has freezes or launching problems on multiple platforms like Epic Games, Xbox One, and Steam Deck.
The most common XCOM 2 launching issues that users are complaining about are XCOM 2 not starting with mods, XCOM 2 not launching on Epic Games, or XCOM 2 not launching on Steam.
“XCOM 2 won’t start. Verified integrity of game files, Re-installed couple of times, Disabled anti-virus(avast), Changed language options, and Cleaning up graphics driver and fresh new install won’t help either. Does anyone having similar issues?”
Why is XCOM 2 not launching?
XCOM 2 not launching due to your game’s launcher or corrupted game files. Many players discussed this problem and it seems that opening the game from 2K Launcher may result in not starting errors.
XCOM 2 System Requirements:
Minimum:
OS: Windows 7, 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4700 2.6 GHz, AMD Phenom 9950 Quad Core 2.6 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5770, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 45 GB
Sound Card: DirectX-compatible sound card
Recommended:
OS: Windows 7, 64-bit
Processor: 3GHz Quad Core
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: 2GB ATI Radeon HD 7970, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 or better
Storage: 70 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Device
You can find here the official source for the complete system requirements.
How to fix XCOM 2 not launching?
Table of contents:
- Update the graphics drivers
- Verify the integrity of game files
- Disable Steam Cloud synchronization
- Reinstall the game
All the solutions described below are available for PC users and can mainly be applied to your PC devices.
Before starting with the complex guide, make sure to try relaunching your gameplay or restarting the PC to see if that problem is resolved.
1. Update the graphics drivers
- Right-click on the Windows taskbar button and click on Device Manager.
- Find the Display drivers and right-click on your device driver.
- Click on the Update driver option.
- Now, select Search automatically for drivers.
- Wait for the process to complete and restart your PC.
Your computer’s graphics drivers will perform and function less effectively if they are out-of-date. It means that your computer is missing the necessary patches and upgrades to help you fix bugs and boost performance.
To avoid these types of problems, you can use an automatic tool that will find, download, and install the right driver version on your Windows PC in just a couple of clicks. So we strongly recommend PC HelpSoft. Here’s how to do it:
1. Download and install PC HelpSoft.
2. Launch the application.
3. Wait for PC HelpSoft to detect all your faulty drivers.
4. The software will now show you all the drivers that have issues, and you just need to select the ones you’d like fixed.
5. Wait for PC HelpSoft to download and install the newest drivers.
6. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
2. Verify the integrity of game files
- Open the Steam client on your desktop.
- Click on the Library button in the top left corner of Steam.
- In the games section, right-click on XCOM 2 and select Properties.
- Then, go to the Local Files option.
- On the right pane, select Verify integrity of game files.
- Check if there are corrupted game files to repair.
3. Disable Steam Cloud synchronization
- On your game launcher, right-click on XCOM 2 game.
- Select the Properties option.
- Go to the Updates tab.
- Untick the Enable Steam Cloud box.
4. Reinstall the game
If you couldn’t fix this game issue by now, a reliable method can be to completely reinstall the game from your PC.
XCOM 2 won’t launch on Xbox One
In order to fix the issue on your Xbox console, you can follow the next method that worked for many players:
➡️ Begin on the Home screen, and log off from your profile before continuing. Then, press the option to run XCOM 2, press the A button, and sign in back your account. Start the game again and enjoy it.
We hope our article helped you fix your XCOM 2 not launching and that now you are playing and enjoying the game.
If you encounter any issues or if you have questions please use the comment section below and we will help you fix the game.
Thank you for this tutorial guys, I can finally play the game!
I was really annoyed last night when playing XCOM 2. I have an NVidia GTX 970 (Overclocked), Intel i7 4790K, 16GB RAM etc which can play a modded (Re-shade) Witcher 3 at 50-60 fps (40 with demanding Hair Works). So when I was only getting 30fps AT MOST from Xcom 2, I knew something must be VERY wrong with the game. On occasion, like moving from room to room within XCOM Base, and during cutscenes etc, my FPS counter has dropped to a new low of just 3!
Hello. Keep getting the minimum direct10x required when trying to log in.
De-install Asus Smart Doctor and Asus OSD Gamer or whatever… and then ran dxdiag and it will say N.A. And you should have Dx 11 now.
I click the play button on the main screen and it goes to the error message minimum of directx 10.1 required. I hit the ok button and then I get the message that steam servers are too busy to handle your request for xcom 2 error code 41
Same issue
Same issue here. Where is the fix? Come on already.
i dont have asus smart doctor or asus OSD Gamer and its still not letting the game run… same boat as these guys
Does it work with a lower than minimum GPU? I have a gtx 260m.
Game needs a minimum DX 10.1. Use a application like GPU-Z to see what max version of DX your GPU can support, because series 200 support 10, but later ones also 10.1.
No, it doesn’t matter if you installed DX 11/12, and DXDiag shows DX 11/12, it matters what your GPU can support.
Hi, i pre ordered xcom on thursday the day before it came out. I have never used steam before so i asked it to pre load the game. On Friday i couldn’t open the application. I still have it in my steam library and i already deleted the non working application and redownloaded it. The error i got was “steamworks not initializing.” It is still not working. when i close steam it ask me to redownload it and re install xcom. I’ve done this twice and I don’t know what to do. Please help
Has anyone found a fix for the corrupt save files that actually works? The game is worthless without the ability to save or load. A common denominator seems to be users with this issue are running Win 10 and have an SSD drive.
I am having the same issue
So, I’ve gotten a crash where I’m en route to a mission site in the skyranger, and the game crashes during that. It has been happening randomly before, where I just restart the pc and it works again, but this time it happens every single time I go to the mission (a landed ufo). I have a AMD FX 6300, and a 760, so I doubt it’s that. I was wondering if you knew how to fix it
I cannot get into the game either. Here are the exact steps and things that occur:
1) I navigate to my library and double click on XCOM 2.
2) The launch screen shows and I click on the “Play” button
3) Almost immediately I get a “XCOM 2 has stopped working. Windows is looking for a solution” window followed by the “A problem caused th program to stop…” window that means it didn’t find a solution with a close program button which I click.
4) Immediately after I click close program a steam window pops up saying “Completing installation”. That window goes to 1% and then crashes out giving a new window with the message, “The Steam servers are too busy to handle your request for XCOM 2. Error Code (41)”
when I launch xcom 2, my screen just turns all white or black and it says that it stopped working. Also my mods arent showing up
Does this work on mac? My problem is I can get it to start, it then takes me to an options menu where i would need to hit play again (no problems yet) but then when I hit play, the window disappears and nothing happens. Then the only way to close it is to reset my computer. Advice?
Douglas, were you ever able to find an answer to this? This is the exact problem I am having on my mac.
Hey I have been having problems getting my game to start, when I launch it for the first time it almost gets to the menu then freezes and I have to manually close it. any time after that the screen goes black and i get a pop up saying Xcom 2 has stopped working. I have tried your fix and it hasn’t worked for me. 2K support has not contacted me in over a day and I would really appreciate some help. an email would be great, I will also check back here later, Thanks.
the tutorial is windows 7 no windows 8 ?
Try to start game through steam and get “failed to start game (unkown error)”
I have this problem : The Steam servers are too busy to handle your request for XCOM 2. Error Code (15)
it all day long that I try
I still have the same problem. It is clearly not busy servers. They can’t be busy for 5 days.
could xcom 2 be responsable for this errors : ” 0xc0000e9 an error e/s happend ”
sorry i’m french ..
well, it’s nothing to be proud about, but don’t be sorry for being french.
it’s just the culture thing :))))))
Same thing happened to me too. I could load to a old save and continue from there. BUT when i came to the same mission after some turns the same thing happened again… now all the saves on that current mission is “corrupt” and crashes upon finished loaded.
Have same problem with missing files. Im starting game – everything runs fine. I can LOAD a game once – but if i try to load game again – it crashes and exit to windows. Steam shows me that game misses 2 files. Ive repeated that process many times. Nothing change. Help plz.
done it. 3 or more times. Still missing 2 files after a second load in the game.
I’ve been experiencing a strange issue. It started on the second tutorial mission (Power converter). When I threw a grenade, the game would freeze. I’d have to force it to close. However, when trying to start it again it would freeze just after the splash logos as it tried to load the main screen. I’d have to verify the integrity of my game cache and it would then download something. I lowered my graphics settings and that seemed to help. However, after two missions I had the same issue though it happened when an enemy was taking an overwatch shot. Again it would not load the main menu. Running a Ge-Force GTX 760 with AMD 6 core processor alongside 16gb ram.
For those who are experiencing startup crashes, I wrestled with it for weeks until 2K told me that the card I thought was about the minimum was in fact not. Two techy friends had told me the card was fine, but it took a triple check to discover otherwise.
Consider a new graphics card?
I’m running into the same issue. I’m currently living in Tamuning, Guam.
I am having issues getting into final mission. I have just hacked the radio relay go through the cutscenes to the next mission and just after the fade to black of the cutscene the game crashes
Same here, the Video in front of the last mission plays but at it’s end there are only the soldiers shown…looking at me. No Menu, no escape works. The Game freezes in this Position…but Music still plays and the Soldiers still have theire animations. Clicking for some hide Menus didn’t work. Help pls.
I disabled the alien hunters dlc on steam, and now I’m having a pop up saying I’ll have performance issues and eventually when playing, the game crashes
The “offers” required to download the patching program kept trying to redirect me to some shitty sites and went from one offer to the next, then to the next, then to the next. I understand you guys need to keep the lights on, but fuck your spam loving partners. No thanks.
hmmmmmmm……… for download have to complete a “smuggers” offer, one of the kind of send sms to your cell phone and YOU ARE PAYING FOR RECIVE THEN EACH TIME.
Thanks i keep playing whit the issues, dont want to be “smugglered” by anyone more apart from corrup goverment