Slay the Spire 2 has stormed up the Steam charts since its March 2026 release. However, some players haven’t been able to start that game on their PCs. For example, one player said this: “Can’t run Slay the Spire 2. I installed the game, but when I click launch, it opens and closes itself after about 5 seconds.” Some players have also found ways to fix Slay the Spire 2 not launching, which we’ll look at in more detail here.
Verify the Game Files
First, try running a verification scan to fix Slay the Spire 2 not launching. Some players confirm that applying that troubleshooting method has kick-started Slay the Spire 2 for them. You can run verification scans to fix corrupted game files, as covered on this Steam support page.
The Verify integrity of game files option
Run Slay the Spire 2 With Admin Rights From Its Folder
Next, try running the game directly from its installation folder with admin rights set for it. Setting elevated admin privileges ensures Slay the Spire 2 has full system access. This is how you can run Slay the Spire 2 with administrator rights from its installation directory.
- First, open File Explorer to navigate to this installation directory path: Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SlayTheSpire2.
- Right-click on the SlayTheSpire2.exe file to select Properties and Compatibility.
- To set elevated privileges for the game, select Run this program as an administrator.
The Run this program as an administrator option
- Save the selected options by clicking Apply and OK.
- Double-click the SplayTheSpire2.exe to start the game.
Set New Rendering Launch Options
A widely confirmed way to fix Slay the Spire 2 not launching is to set new rendering launch options for the game. Applying this might set the game to utilize a graphics protocol that’s more compatible with your PC. So, try setting rendering launch options like this:
- Start the Steam gaming client and click on its Library tab.
- Next, right-click the Slay the Spire 2 game to select Properties.
- First, input –rendering-driver openngl3 into the launch options.
The –rendering-driver openngl3 launch parameter
- If the OpenGL3 parameter doesn’t work for you, try entering –rendering-driver vulkan into the launch options box for the game.
Install a New Graphics Driver
Installing new graphics drivers has worked for some players who’ve needed to fix Slay the Spire 2 not launching. You can update the driver for your PC’s graphics card as outlined in this KeenGamer guide. If you install a new NVIDIA graphics driver manually, select the Custom (Advanced) > Perform a clean installation option.
The NVIDIA graphics driver page
Disable Overlays
Overlay features can conflict with the Slay the Spire 2 rendering. To ensure they don’t, turn off the overlay settings within software like Steam, Discord, AMD Adrenaline, and NVIDIA App. Then try starting Slay the Spire 2 again with overlays disabled.
The Steam overlay setting
Temporarily Third-Party Antivirus
Some players have said that pausing third-party antivirus software can fix Slay the Spire 2 not launching. Do you have any third-party antivirus software like AVG installed? If you do, try right-clicking the icon for that antivirus software and selecting an option to temporarily disable its shield. Start the game with the antivirus disabled. If this works, add the Slay the Spire 2 game folder to the exclusion list in your third-party antivirus software.
Erase the Libsentry DLL File
Another confirmed way to fix the Slay the Spire 2 game not launching is to erase the libsentry_windows_release_x86_64.dll file. That is a file for a Sentry error monitoring and reporting tool. You can delete the libsentry_windows_release_x86_64.dll file like this:
- Open this folder in File Explorer SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Slay the Spire 2.
- Click on the libsentry.windows.release.x86_64.dll to select it.
The libsentry.windows.release.x86_64.dll file
- Select Explorer’s Delete option to erase the file.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Slay the Spire 2 Not Launching
If Slay the Spire 2 still doesn’t start, there are other potential fixes you can try applying. These troubleshooting methods might also kick-start the game for some players:
- If your PC has two graphics cards, disable the integrated GPU via Device Manager.
- Clear the download cache for Steam as instructed on this support page.
- Run Slay the Spire 2 in Windows 8 compatibility mode.
- Try setting -dx11 or -dx12 launch options for the game.
The ways to fix Slay the Spire 2 not launching have worked for many players. So, there’s quite a good chance they’ll fix the game not starting for the majority of players. You can also ask the Mega Crit Games support service for more potential fixes at su*****@******it.com.
