Dragon's Dogma 2 crashing at startup? Black screen? Character creation error? — Troubleshooting

Dragon's Dogma 2 is a highly anticipated big-budget project from Capcom that was released in a less than ideal technical state. In addition to poor optimization, the game also encounters standard issues such as desktop crashes, startup errors, black screens, and more. We have compiled all effective solutions to Dragon's Dogma 2 technical problems in one guide.

System requirements represent a set of computer specifications necessary to run Dragon's Dogma 2. They help understand whether a particular computer is suitable for a comfortable gaming experience.

Minimum system requirements reflect the lowest threshold of computer specifications on which the project can run and function. However, it should be understood that meeting the minimum does not always lead to a comfortable gaming experience, as gamers may need to resort to lowering graphical settings.

Unlike the minimum, recommended system requirements reflect a computer configuration on which Dragon's Dogma 2 will run best, providing high-quality graphics and stable frame rates. However, it should be noted that the project currently does not have good optimization, so even owners of powerful hardware may face frame drops and performance issues.

Dragon's Dogma 2 crashes on PC can be caused by various reasons:

The solution to these problems often lies in updating drivers, verifying file integrity through the Steam platform, reinstalling Microsoft Visual C++ components, closing background applications, and disabling overlays. We will detail each of these points in the section on general solutions for resolving technical issues in Dragon's Dogma 2.

This section contains proven methods for resolving technical issues that are recommended to be applied first. These steps will help eliminate the most common problems and improve the stability of the game on PC.

To avoid startup problems, it is recommended to try running Dragon's Dogma 2 with administrator rights. Often, due to access restrictions, it may not work correctly. Here's how to do it:

This can help resolve some access issues and allow the game to use all necessary system resources.

Verifying and restoring files in Steam often allows you to resolve some technical issues that occur when launching the game.

Updating or reinstalling Visual C++ redistributable packages can help resolve issues related to launch errors, crashes, and other malfunctions caused by incorrect operation or absence of these components. We recommend ensuring that you have all the latest versions of the packages installed. You can download Microsoft Visual C++ from the official Microsoft website.

DirectX is a set of APIs developed by Microsoft that allows software to work directly with video and audio hardware. Having the latest version of DirectX can help fix some errors that occur in Dragon's Dogma 2.

In Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems, DirectX updates occur automatically through Windows Update. The user just needs to ensure that all the latest Windows updates, including optional ones, have been installed. Additionally, you can download the latest version of DirectX from the official Microsoft website and install it manually.

To find out the current version of DirectX on your PC, press the Win+R key combination, type dxdiag, and press Enter. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool will open, where the installed version of DirectX will be displayed on the System tab.

Switching to DirectX 11 can be a solution to performance or stability issues in Dragon's Dogma 2, especially if you have encountered technical difficulties while using DirectX 12. Gamers note that DirectX 11 provides higher stability for some PC configurations and reduces the likelihood of conflicts between the game and graphics hardware.

How to switch to DirectX 11:

Additionally, users with NVIDIA graphics cards can set the maximum performance for the GPU:

A clean installation of GPU drivers is one of the essential actions you need to take if you encounter issues during the launch or gameplay of Dragon's Dogma 2. This action also helps eliminate conflicts and problems related to outdated or corrupted drivers. Here's how to do it:

Disabling overlays often helps resolve performance and stability issues in games, including Dragon's Dogma 2. An overlay is an additional interface that appears over the game and provides various functions such as chat, FPS counters, and more. Overlays can often increase system load, which negatively affects overall performance.

Be sure to disable overlays in the following applications:

Downloading and installing the latest Windows OS updates is another important step that all players should take before launching Dragon's Dogma 2. Updates provide not only new features but also help fix compatibility issues and performance optimizations, which will enhance game stability.

To check for updates:

Disabling the antivirus and firewall or adding the game to the exception list can resolve issues with launching Dragon's Dogma 2 caused by false security triggers.

Start by adding the game to the antivirus exception list. Add the path to the game folder and the executable file DD2.exe to the exception list so that the antivirus does not block the file. This also applies to other game-related files, such as Steam.exe.

Disable Windows Firewall:

Some users have reported that running the game in windowed mode can help resolve compatibility issues. Here's how you can run DD2 in borderless windowed mode:

Currently, many gamers are facing an issue where Dragon's Dogma 2 crashes to the desktop upon launch, with or without an error message. Below are all the effective ways to resolve this issue.

Log out of the Steam launcher and end the process (you may need to use Task Manager). Then, run Steam as an administrator (right-click on the shortcut and select the appropriate option).

Some players have reported that lowering the resolution in the NVIDIA or AMD control panel helps resolve the crash issue during launch.

In the root folder, find the dinput.dll file and delete it. Try launching the game. If this doesn't help and DD2 still doesn't start, you should verify the integrity of the game files through the Steam launcher.

Deleting files that unlock DLC can help eliminate errors when launching Dragon's Dogma 2. In some cases, such files can cause conflicts or prevent the game from launching correctly. Here are the steps to follow:

Note that before performing any operations with game files, it is recommended to create a backup of the data to avoid losing progress or other important information.

If you have followed all the above recommendations but the game still crashes, disconnecting the controller may be an effective solution. As strange as it may sound, this has actually helped some gamers. It is likely that certain controllers or their drivers can sometimes cause conflicts with the game, leading to unexpected technical issues, including crashes.

Limiting the frame rate to 30 FPS in Dragon's Dogma 2 can help reduce system load, especially if your PC does not meet the recommended requirements. This can prevent system overload and decrease the likelihood of crashes, particularly when loading resource-intensive scenes:

To resolve this issue, use the frame rate limit function. Lower the value until the error stops appearing. If even the minimum limit does not help, it is recommended to lower the resolution in the game.

If you are using an NVIDIA 3000 or 4000 series graphics card, try limiting the GPU power to about 70%. This will help disable the built-in NVIDIA overclocking.

There are currently only two solutions to this issue:

With the release of the first patch for Dragon's Dogma 2, black screen issues have become less frequent, but some players still encounter them. Below are all the working methods to bypass this annoyance.

If you own an NVIDIA graphics card, you can try disabling scaling:

Dragon's Dogma 2 implements DLSS and FSR scaling features, so if you have mid-range hardware, we recommend using them. If your graphics card supports these technologies, enable them in the graphics settings. This will improve performance without significant loss of image quality. Set the game's graphics settings to minimum but keep your preferred screen resolution.

Modifications significantly expand the gaming experience by adding new content or improving graphics, but they can also be the cause of technical issues. Here's a guide on how to properly use mods for Dragon's Dogma 2 to minimize the risk of conflicts:

Vertical synchronization is designed to synchronize the game's frame rate with the monitor's refresh rate. In most cases, the enabled parameter consumes a large amount of resources but helps eliminate other errors. To enable Vsync, open the settings and find the option in the Graphics section.