Civilization 6 isn’t the latest game in its series anymore, but it seems many players prefer it to Civ 7. However, Civ 6 doesn’t start for some players when they try to play it. For example, one Civ 6 player said, “I’m at the end of my wits trying to get Civ 6 to run… today it chose not to boot up anymore when I press play on Steam and on the 2K launcher straight after clicking play on the Steam play button.” These are some ways you can fix Civilization 6 not launching on a Windows PC.
Disable Fullscreen Optimizations
Disabling fullscreen optimizations is one player-confirmed way to fix Civilization 6 not launching. Fullscreen optimization is enabled by default, but can cause conflicts for some games. This is how you can disable fullscreen optimizations for Civilization 6:
- Open Explorer and the SidMeiersCivilizationVI\Base\Binaries\Win64EOS folder directory path. That directory path could be in the Steam\steamapps\common or Epic Games folder, depending on what game client you installed it with.
- Right-click the CivilizationVI.exe file to select Properties.
- Select Compatibility and Disable fullscreen optimizations.
The Disable fullscreen optimizations option
- Click the Apply option to save selected settings.
- Press the OK button to exit the window.
Verify the Game Files for Civilization 6
Corrupted game files are a common cause for games not starting. Run a verification scan for Civilization 6 to check for and repair corrupted files. These Epic Games and Steam help pages tell you how users can run verification scans for games.
The Verify option
Clear Steam’s Download Cache
Some players confirm they have fixed Civilization 6 not starting by clearing Steam’s download cache. You don’t need to manually delete any folder to apply this fix, as Steam includes a troubleshooting option for clearing the download cache. This Steam page provides step-by-step guidelines for clearing the download cache for Valve’s gaming client.
The Clear Cache option
Delete T2GP Launcher Folders
Deleting T2GP Launcher folders is another player-confirmed way to fix Civilization 6 not launching. Erasing those folders might delete outmoded launcher components. This is how you can erase the T2GP Launcher folders:
- Click Start with the right button on your mouse to select Run.
- Input %appdata% inside Run and click OK.
- Open the Roaming subfolder in the AppData folder.
- Right-click T2GP Launcher in the Roaming folder to select Delete.
The T2GP Launcher folder
- Next, open Local in the AppData directory.
- Click T2GP Launcher with your mouse’s right button and select Delete.
Try Starting Civilization 6 With the CivilizationVI.exe File
Civilization 6 has alternative CivilizationVI.exe and Civilization_DX12.exe application files for launching the game. Players confirm they’ve got Civ 6 started by launching it with the CivilizationVI.exe file. So, try starting Civilization 6 directly from its folder with that file like this:
- Open File Explorer, which you can activate using the Windows logo + E hotkey.
- Navigate to the SidMeiersCivilizationVI\Base\Binaries\Win64EOS installation folder for the game.
- Double-click the CivilizationVI.exe file in that folder.
- If this works, consider setting up a shortcut for the CivilizationVI.exe file. To do that, right-click the file and select Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
The CivilizationVI.exe file
Some Steam users have also fixed Civ 6 not starting by setting a launch parameter for the CivilizationVI.exe file. Setting this launch parameter bypasses the launcher. You can set a CivilizationVI.exe launch parameter like this:
- Open the Library tab inside Steam.
- Right-click your Civilization 6 game.
- Input (copy and paste) “C:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\common\Sid Meier’s Civilization VI\Base\Binaries\Win64Steam\CivilizationVI.exe” %command% into the launch options box on the General tab.
Unlink OneDrive
OneDrive is a cloud storage app that can cause Civilization 6 startup issues to arise when linked to PCs. Are you a OneDrive user? If so, try unlinking OneDrive like this:
- Go into the File Explorer.
- Right-click your OneDrive folder in File Explorer’s sidebar to select OneDrive > Settings.
- Click the Account tab.
- Next, click the Unlink this PC option.
The Unlink this PC option
- Press the Unlink account button.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Civilization 6 Not Launching on a Windows PC
If the potential fixes above aren’t enough, other troubleshooting methods might kick-start Civilization 6. Try applying these extra possible resolutions:
- Set the CivilizationVI.exe file to run with administrator rights.
- Reinstall Civilization 6 with Steam or Epic Games.
- Set your Windows PC to clean boot by going through the instructions on this Microsoft guide page.
- Install the latest compatible driver for your graphics card with the method in this KeenGamer guide.
I hope one of the possible remedies above fixes Civilization 6 not starting on your PC. There’s a good chance one will because those troubleshooting methods are among the most widely player-confirmed ways to fix Civilization 6 not launching. If you need more possible fixes for Civ 6 not starting, try sending a support ticket to 2K from this help page.
