Players have reported that they can’t play Dead by Daylight because it doesn’t start on their PCs. One player described a DBD launch issue on Reddit like this: “Game (Dead by Daylight) not launching… It’ll enter the splash screen and load until the end, then stay there until the splash screen disappears a few moments later.” When DBD doesn’t start, it can get stuck on the loading screen or show messages. This is how you can fix Dead by Daylight not launching on Windows PCs.
Set a Launch Option for DirectX 11
Players confirm that setting a -dx11 (for DirectX 11) launch option can fix Dead by Daylight not launching on Windows PCs. That potential fix configures the game to utilize a DirectX 11 API. To apply this possible fix, go through these steps:
- Start Steam and click on Library within the software’s tab bar.
- Right-click Dead by Daylight in the left sidebar to select Properties.
- Enter -dx11 within the General tab’s launch options text box.
The -dx11 launch option
Erase the PersistentDownloadDir Folder
Deleting the PersistentDownloadDir folder is another player-confirmed way to fix Dead by Daylight not launching, especially when it shows an initialization error. Applying this possible fix might eradicate corrupted data within that folder, which gets recreated after deletion. This is how you can erase the PersistentDownloadDir folder:
- First, open Run (accessible with a Windows logo + R keyboard shortcut).
- Enter %localappdata% within Run and click OK.
- Open the Dead by Daylight > Saved folder.
- Right-click the PersistentDownloadDir folder to select Delete.
If you can’t see the PersistentDownloadDir folder, you might need to select the Hidden Items in File Explorer. In Windows 11, click the three-dot menu button in File Explorer and select Options > Show hidden files, folders, and drives > Apply > OK. In Windows 10, select Hidden Items on Explorer’s View tab.
Erase the Config Folder
Deleting the Config file will erase personalized game settings for Dead by Daylight, which can sometimes fix launch issues. However, erasing that folder also deletes the saved game with it. You can erase the Config folder like this:
- First, go into Explorer and navigate to the: Users > Test > AppData > Local > DeadbyDaylight > Saved folder.
- Click the Config folder once to select it.
- Press Explorer’s Delete button.
The Config folder and Delete option
If that doesn’t work, try renaming the DeadByDaylight data folder instead. To do so, go back to the AppData directory. Then, right-click the DeadByDaylight subfolder there and select Rename. Enter DeadByDaylight.old to be the new folder name and press Return.
Disable Integrated GPUs
Disabling integrated (typically Intel) GPUs is a way to fix Dead by Daylight not launching, that’s worked for some players. However, this potential resolution is only applicable for PCs with two (dual) graphics cards. Applying this fix ensures the PC uses the alternative dedicated GPU. You can disable an integrated GPU like this:
- First, right-click Start (on the taskbar) to select Device Manager on the secondary menu that appears.
- Next, double-click Display adapters to see graphics cards.
- Right-click your integrated Intel video adapter and select Disable device > Yes.
The Disable device option
Clear Out Steam’s Download Cache
Clearing Steam’s download cache is a troubleshooting method that can sometimes fix Steam games not launching. Doing this might clear corrupted data within the Steam cache. This page for clearing Steam’s cache tells you how users can apply this possible fix.
The Clear Cache button
Reinstall Dead by Daylight
Reinstalling the game is a last resort way to fix Dead by Daylight not launching. Applying this possible solution refreshes the game’s files and resets its configuration to default. This is how you can reinstall the Dead by Daylight game.
Steam
- Open the Library tab in your Steam software.
- Right-click Dead by Daylight and select Manage > Uninstall > Uninstall.
The Uninstall option in Steam
- To reinstall, select the Install option for the uninstalled Dead by Daylight game in the Library tab. Click on Uninstall again to confirm.
Epic Games
- Start your Epic Games client and go into the Library tab.
- Click the menu button for Dead by Daylight and select Uninstall twice.
The Uninstall option in Epic
- You can then reinstall the game by clicking the Dead by Daylight thumbnail and selecting Install twice.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Dead by Daylight Not Launching
You can try applying more potential fixes for Dead by Daylight not launching if the ones above aren’t enough. These additional troubleshooting methods might work for some DBD players:
- Verify your Dead by Daylight game files as instructed on these Epic help and Steam support pages.
- Set Dead by Daylight to run with admin rights.
- Run the UEPrereqSetup_x64 file that you can find in a default C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dead by Daylight\Engine\Extras\Redist\en-us folder path.
- Try starting Dead by Daylight from its installation folder.
- Temporarily disable Windows Security or third-party antivirus apps before starting Dead by Daylight. If this works, add the Dead by Daylight game folder to antivirus exclusion lists.
I hope (but cannot promise) those potential resolutions fix Dead by Daylight not launching on your PC. Those are possible fixes DBD players have tried applying, and confirm that they can kick-start the game. You can also ask the DBD help service for more potential fixes from this contact page.
