How To Fix Cyberpunk 2077 Crashing Issues

Many players who excitedly explore the Night City are disappointed when they realize that their Cyberpunk 2077 experience is punctuated by occasional, and in some cases, persistent crashing issues. While the game has run exceptionally well for most, some unlucky folks can’t seem to fully enjoy the new game because of these crashes.

In this troubleshooting guide, we’ll help explain why this game may be crashing and how to best fix the issues.

What are the causes for Cyberpunk 2077 crashes

Game crashing issues are a reality for PC gamers. Even with well-built games, crashes can never be totally eliminated and when it comes to Cyberpunk 2077, there have been several reasons that we’ve identified so far. Let’s take a look at them one by one.

Broken GOG launcher.

If you are experiencing crashing issues when playing Cyberpunk 2077 during its initial loading screen or startup, it’s likely due to a conflict with its GOG launcher. This issue has been widely reported since the game was released.

By far, Steam and Epic Games versions have not reported a similar issue.

Your PC can’t handle the game.

If you are running an older PC right now, one of the things that you must check before buying the game should be its capability to run Cyberpunk 2077. The game needs a decent minimum specifications only if you are content on playing on the lowest graphics settings.

Despite the hype surrounding Cyberpunk 2077, the game runs well on Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8310 processors, which are surprisingly old given the fact that these were released in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Outdated graphics drivers.

Crashing issues can also happen if you install and run Cyberpunk 2077 with outdated graphics drivers. Just like games, applications, and Operating Systems, drivers, especially for your GPU, need regular update in order to work smoothly and with minimal issues with the new games.

Corrupted game files.

For others, the main reason for their game crashing issues can be due to corrupted files. Incomplete updates, viruses, or faulty installations are some of the common reasons for files becoming corrupted.

Unknown software or hardware malfunction.

If your other games crash and not just Cyberpunk 2077, it’s possible that there may be other deeper issues with your computer’s software or hardware. Not all causes of crashes can be identified so if you’ve already ruled out the factors mentioned above, you can assume that your PC may need a complete overhaul.

Fixing crashing issues on Cyberpunk 2077 is easy. Below are the simple things that you can try to fix your problem.

Fix #1: Update the game.

First, you want to make sure that the game runs that latest version. Newly-released games are notoriously buggy so in order to lessen the chances of encountering problems, make sure that you install every patch and updates that are released by the developer.

Fix #2: Disable GOG launcher if Cyberpunk 2077 crashes at startup.

If you bought the game via CD Projekt’s GOG launcher and the game is crashing at startup, the problem may be caused by a poorly coded overlay feature. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for that. Here’s what you can do:

Launch the GOG launcher.
Go to Settings by clicking on the Cog icon in the top-left corner.
Go to the Game Features tab on the left.
Make sure that the box next to Overlay is NOT checked.
Exit the Settings screen and open up Cyberpunk 2077.

Fix #3: Make sure your PC can run the game.

If Cyberpunk 2077 launches fine, goes past the startup screen, but then crashes somewhere else, it’s possible that it has something to do with your PC setup.

It’s very important to ensure that both your CPU and GPU meet the minimum system requirements, or better still, exceed them in order to avoid lag or performance issues.

Crashes can often occur if your PC regularly struggles to play the game due to insufficient resources.

For a more detailed information regarding the required specifications for this game, visit the official cdprojektred site.

Fix #4: Close background applications.

If your PC does meet the minimum system requirements but seems to struggle when the game is running, it’s about time that you check if you can lessen the load by closing other apps like web browsers, video editing programs, or any other apps that might be running. This is a good way to free up resources in order for your machine to perform properly when the game is working.

Fix #5: Repair game files.

If the game continues to crash randomly or at the same exact spot, you may be dealing with corrupted game files. To fix the issue, you’ll need to either attempt a repair or a reinstall.

Below are the different ways to verify or repair game files on three different launchers:

How to verify integrity of game files on GOG launcher

Launch GOG GALAXY
Log in with your GOG.com account.
Go to Owned games tab and select Cyberpunk 2077.
Click Customize button (to the right of “Play” button).
Go to Manage installation and select Verify / Repair.

How to verify integrity of game files on Epic Games

Open Epic Games launcher.
In the Library section, find and select Cyberpunk 2077 and click on the three dots.
Click Verify in the drop-down list.
Wait for the process to complete. It may take a few minutes to verify all the files.

Also read: How to verify integrity of game files on Steam

Fix #6: Delete and reinstall Cyberpunk 2077.

If none of the suggestions in this guide has fixed the game crashes, you must do a drastic solution of deleting and reinstalling the game. Sometimes, it may require a clean installation to fully fix an issue caused by a bad software.

Bear in mind that the game download size is huge so it can take you hours to play the game again afterwards.