How to fix Helldivers 2 crashing on startup
If you've found that your copy of Helldivers 2 is crashing on startup, we've got several fixes you can try to solve this error and get back to playing the game.
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If you're trying to run Helldivers 2 but are met with a black screen and the game crashing on startup, we've got some fixes for you to try.
How to fix crashing on startup error in Helldivers 2
In Helldivers 2, you can fix the crashing on startup issue by turning off the Steam input. You can also delete the Gameguard folder found within the game files and add the newly created one to your virus protection whitelist.
We've gone into more detail about the various fixes you can try below.
1. Disabling Steam input
To disable Steam input in Helldivers 2, you must follow these steps:
- Open Steam
- Go to Library
- Perform right-click on Helldivers 2
- Select the "Properties" option
- Navigate to the "Controllers" tab
- Now, select the "Disable Steam Input" option from the "Override" drop-down menu
Doing so will fix the crash on the startup issue in Helldivers 2, but if it doesn't, use the next fix.
2. Whitelisting Gameguard folder
Go to the installation directory of Helldivers 2, head inside the "bin", and delete the "GameGuard" folder. After that, follow the below steps:
- Right-click on the Helldivers 2 desktop icon
- Select "Run as Administrator"
- Doing so will create a new GameGuard folder
- Open your Antivirus and whitelist the entire folder in Virus Protection
- Lastly, restart your PC
Once that is done, running Helldivers 2 should no longer lead to a black screen or crash on startup. Thanks to Reddit user "u/GreatestJakeEVR" for sharing this fix with the community.
3. Disabling Antivirus
If the above method is too confusing for you, you can also disable your Antivirus while playing Helldivers 2 and make sure your Firewall does not block the game.
4. Updating the game
Helldivers 2 crashing on startup and many other issues have already been addressed by Arrowhead Game Studios and the developers are already working on a fix. They have also released a patch that has resolved many crash issues and improved matchmaking, so make sure your game is up to date!
About The Author
Hritwik Raj
Hritwik has been writing about video games, manga, and anime for more than 8 years. Some of his favourite games include The Last of Us Part II, Fallout 76, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and the Souls series.
This is part of the ‘Helldivers 2’ directory
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