Run these safe checks first
Do not begin by deleting folders, installing random DLL files, or stacking launch options. Establish a clean baseline first.
- Restart Steam fully. Exit it from the system tray, reopen it, then launch the game once.
- Verify game files. In Steam Properties → Installed Files, run “Verify integrity of game files.”
- Clear old launch options. Remove historic DX9, DX11, resolution, or window-mode flags and test the current default.
- Disable overlays temporarily. Test without third-party performance, recording, or controller overlays.
- Record the exact symptom. Note whether there is no process, a process with no window, a splash hang, or a renderer error.
Match the symptom
| Symptom | First diagnostic | Evidence state |
|---|---|---|
| Steam says Running, but no window appears | Clear old launch options, disable overlays, then test borderless or windowed mode. | Low-risk diagnostic; current hardware test still needed. |
| Stuck at the splash screen | Verify files, wait through one clean launch, then back up and regenerate configuration. | Symptom appears in community reports; cause varies. |
| Failed to create D3D9 device | Remove forced DX9 flags and test the current DX11 default with a supported resolution. | Historical error string; renderer behavior changed before 1.0. |
| DX11 crash or visual artifacts | Update the GPU driver, reset overrides, and collect the exact GPU/driver combination before testing a legacy renderer. | Official DX11 default plus mixed PC/Linux reports. |
| Character spins or input is unusable | Disconnect extra controllers/joysticks and disable remapping layers for one test. | Documented by PCGamingWiki; hardware-specific. |
Windows branch
- Install pending Windows and GPU-driver updates, then restart before retesting.
- Confirm Steam is launching the game on the intended discrete GPU on multi-GPU systems.
- Test one clean default launch before adding compatibility mode or administrator overrides.
- Rename the configuration folder rather than deleting it; keep the backup until controls and display settings are confirmed.
- Do not download individual DirectX DLL files from third-party sites.
Linux and Steam Deck branch
Steam does not list native Linux support. ProtonDB reports include successful sessions, severe stutter, DX11 flicker, missing-model artifacts, and cases improved by different Proton versions. Those reports are useful signals, not universal fixes.
- Remove inherited launch options and test the current stable Proton path.
- Record the Proton version, GPU, driver, and whether the failure occurs in DX11 or a legacy renderer.
- Try one alternate Proton version at a time; do not combine renderer, prefix, and environment changes in one test.
- Back up the prefix before resetting it. A fresh prefix discards local runtime state.
Still broken? Build a useful report
Collect this before posting. It makes a developer or community reply far more actionable:
- Exact error text or a screenshot of the last visible state.
- Operating system and build, CPU, GPU, RAM, and GPU driver version.
- Renderer and every launch option currently applied.
- Whether file verification, a clean config, and overlay removal changed the behavior.
- For Linux: distribution, kernel, Proton version, desktop session, and GPU driver.
Launch troubleshooting FAQ
Should I force DirectX 9 or DirectX 11?
Update 30 made DX11 the default. Remove old launch options first and test the default path. Use a renderer override only as a controlled diagnostic because old community workarounds may no longer match 1.0.
Should I delete the configuration folder?
Back it up or rename it first. Renaming preserves a reversible copy and lets the game generate clean settings without destroying your controls or display configuration.
Does this page guarantee a fix?
No. It prioritizes low-risk checks and identifies evidence strength. Hardware-specific, driver-specific, and Proton-specific failures may need a developer report with logs.