Crimson Desert has stormed to the top of the Steam charts in March 2026. However, some players have reported that Crimson Desert doesn’t start on their PCs. This is what one such player said, “When I press the Play button, it [Crimson Desert] tries to launch, but it closes automatically after a few seconds—it doesn’t even get to open the game.” This is how you can fix Crimson Desert not launching on a Windows PC.
Disconnect and Reconnect
This is a bit of an unusual potential fix that some players say can kick-start Crimson Desert. Some players confirm that disconnecting and reconnecting to the internet when starting the game can fix Crimson Desert not launching. You can apply this potential fix as follows:
- Click the icon panel within your Windows system tray.
- Then, click the Internet button to turn it off.
The Internet button
- Start Crimson Desert.
- Click the Internet button again to re-establish the connection as the game starts.
Run Steam (or Epic Games) as an Administrator
Another player-confirmed way to fix Crimson Desert not launching is to run Steam with admin rights. If you’re an Epic user, you can set that gaming client to run with elevated rights. This is how you can run Steam or Epic Games as an administrator:
- Right-click the Steam or Epic Games desktop icon and select Properties.
- Select Run this program as an administrator within the settings on the Compatibility.
Run this program as an administrator setting
- Click Apply to save what you’ve selected.
- Select OK to exit the window.
Verify the Crimson Desert Game Files
The Crimson Desert support service recommends players verify game files. Running a verification might fix Crimson Desert not launching if there are corrupted or missing game files. You can run a verification scan as outlined on these Epic and Steam support pages.
The Verify integrity of game files
Set Up Firewall Exceptions for Steam/Epic and Crimson Desert
Some players have fixed CD not starting by adding Crimson Desert and game client exceptions to their firewalls. This Microsoft guide page tells you how users can allow programs through the Windows firewall. Add these files to the firewall’s allowed list with their Public/Private checkboxes selected:
- Steam.exe
- EpicGamesLauncher.exe
- CrimsonDesert.exe
The Allowed apps option
Lower Your Monitor’s Refresh Rate
Another potential way to fix Crimson Desert not launching, which has worked for some players, is to lower the monitor refresh rate. If you have a monitor with a higher refresh rate, try setting it to 60Hz. You can lower your monitor’s refresh rate like this:
- First, press the Windows logo + S key combination.
- Then enter an advanced display keyword.
- Click on View advanced display.
- Select 60Hz in the Choose a refresh rate drop-down menu.
Choose a refresh rate option
Disable Background Apps by Clean Booting
Conflicting background apps can cause Crimson Desert startup issues. To fix this, try disabling third-party items and services by applying the clean boot troubleshooting method. This Microsoft guide to clean booting provides details on how players can apply a clean boot.
The System Configuration tool for disabling services
Update Graphical Drivers
Some players say they updated graphics card drivers to fix Crimson Desert not launching. So, that’s going to be worth a try, especially if you haven’t updated GPU drivers for a while. You can update graphics drivers with a method in this guide.
The graphics driver update page
Other Possible Ways to Fix Crimson Desert Not Launching
First, try applying the more widely confirmed ways to fix Crimson Desert not launching above. If the game still doesn’t start, try applying these troubleshooting methods:
- Reinstall Crimson Desert.
- Clear the DirectX Shader Cache with the Disk Clean-up tool in Windows.
- Select the Repair or Reset option for Crimson Desert in Windows if installed via the Microsoft Store or the Xbox app.
- Turn off DLSS for Crimson Desert with the NVIDIA App or alternative graphics settings.
I hope you fix Crimson Desert not launching with one of the potential resolutions above. They’re generally troubleshooting methods that other players confirm to have worked for them. If you need more potential fixes, click Create ticket on this PLAION support page for Crimson Desert.
