How to resolve XCOM 2 crashes on Windows 10?

XCOM 2 is a popular title in which gameplay is set around a post-apocalyptic period where humans lost a great war against alien invaders and the earth ended up with a new world order. You get enough positive buzz while you play the game – given the mission requires you to rise and eliminate the alien occupation – but the game application issues might dampen your spirit. Since you are here, we must assume you are struggling with XCOM 2 application crashes on Windows. Well, you are hardly the only affected by the issue.

Why is XCOM 2 crashing in Windows?

The Windows XCOM 2 application might crash for different reasons. For example, your computer might struggle to support the game’s processes or services with the resources they need, and the inadequacies might result in the app going down with crashes. To confirm our assumption here, you might want to check the minimum system requirements for XCOM 2 on Windows.

XCOM 2 minimum specifications

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4700 2.6 GHz or AMD Phenom 9950 Quad Core 2.6 GHz
• Memory: 4GB RAM
• OS: Windows® 7, 64-bit
• Graphics card: 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5770, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or better
• Storage: 45 GB available space

To be fair, even your computer matching (or being close) to the minimum specifications is hardly a guarantee that the game will run without crashes or related issues. Ideally, you need your device to match or exceed the recommended requirements for XCOM 2 on Windows.

XCOM 2 recommended specifications

• Processor: 3GHz Quad-Core
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• OS: Windows® 7, 64-bit
• Graphics card: 2GB ATI Radeon HD 7970, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 or better
• Storage: 45 GB available space

Now, if you are certain your PC is powerful enough to run XCOM 2 without performance issues but the game still crashes on your computer, then we can infer that the crashes are likely due to other factors such as bugs. If inconsistencies or discrepancies in the program code have nothing to do with the game crashes, then conflicts or similar events in play on your computer are probably responsible for the problem.

In any case, you have to see the next section where we intend to show you how to fix constant random XCOM 2 game crashes. We will walk you through the most effective procedures employed by users to rectify the issue.

How to get rid of crashes in XCOM 2 on Windows 10

You will do well to attempt the procedures in the order they appear below.

1. Verify the integrity of the game cache:

If the XCOM 2 application constantly crashes after launch, then there is a good chance that the game’s major files are corrupted, which means the app cannot read or access the data it needs to run. Here, we want you to use the verification function for game cache in Steam. Steam will run checks on the files and compare them with the standard copies. The corrupted or damaged entries will be replaced accordingly.

Here are the instructions you must follow to verify the integrity of the game cache for XCOM 2 in the Steam application:

• First, you need the Steam application up and running. You can launch Steam by clicking on its shortcut (or icon) present on your desktop screen.

Alternatively, you can bring up the Windows Start menu, perform a search operation in the text field there using Steam as the query, and then click on the appropriate application in the list of results.

• Click on the LIBRARY tab to go there (if you do not end up there by default). Go through your installed games, locate XCOM 2, and then right-click on it to see its context menu.
• Click on Properties. The Properties window for the chosen game in Steam will be brought up now.
• Click on the LOCAL FILES tab to go there. Click on the VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME CACHE button.

Steam is now supposed to run the checks and apply repairs (where applicable). All you have to do is wait for the operations to reach completion.

ØAssuming all the verification tasks have been completed, you must now launch XCOM 2. Try to play your game and see how things go this time.

2. Disable or uninstall your antivirus:

Some antiviruses are known to block certain features in games, which results in the applications being unable to execute operations. There is a good chance your antivirus is interfering with XCOM 2 or Steam processes and the crashes you experienced while playing the game were due to the interference.

To confirm the assumptions here, you have to disable your antivirus (temporarily) or remove it and then test things out. These steps cover everything we want you to do:

ØLaunch your antivirus. After its program window comes up, you must head to its main menu or primary options screen.

ØGo into its settings pane and check for a Disable or Turn off button. If you find such a button, you must use it (toggle or switch it on).

Otherwise, you must deselect or disable the features your antivirus needs to do its job. The Real-time functionality, for instance, is an example of the functionality you must disable – if it exists in your antivirus settings.

On a general note, we want you to strip your antivirus of its powers or capabilities. We want you to weaken it as much as you can. This way, it becomes unable to interfere with games or applications running on your computer.

• Here, assuming you are done making the recommended moves against your antivirus, you must save the changes or new configuration for your antivirus.
• Exit your antivirus and then fire up Steam. Launch XCOM 2 and try to enjoy the game. Observe the changes – if any do occur at all.

If the game no longer crashes as it used to, then you have more or less confirmed the interference phenomenon involving your antivirus as the cause of the issues all along. In that case, you might want to remove your antivirus for good to ensure the past problems do not manifest themselves again. Some antiviruses are programmed to turn themselves on or reenable their disabled features after a specific period, which means such programs must be uninstalled to avoid a return of the already resolved issues.

Even if the crashes persist as they used to (after you made the recommended moves against your antivirus), we still advise that you uninstall your antivirus. Uninstallation is the only operation through which you get to verify that your antivirus had nothing to do with the XCOM 2 crashes on Windows. You can uninstall your antivirus through operations executed from the Apps and Features screen in Settings or tasks performed from the Program and Features menu in Control Panel. We prefer the latter (path), though.

Here are the instructions you must follow to uninstall your antivirus:

• First, you need to get to the Program and Features screen in the Control Panel application.

Use the Windows button + letter R button combination to fire up the Run app. After the application window appears, you must fill the text field with this code: appwiz.cpl

Hit the Enter button on your machine’s keyboard to get Windows to run the code.

• Assuming you are on the right screen, you should see all the programs currently installed on your computer. Go through them, locate your antivirus, click on it to get it highlighted, and then right-click on it to see its context menu.
• Click on Uninstall.

The uninstaller or uninstallation wizard for your antivirus will come up. You might have to confirm some prompts or make the necessary selections by clicking on certain buttons.

You must follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

• Once Windows finishes uninstalling your antivirus, you must restart your computer to round up the process.
• After the recommended reboot, you have to open Steam, head to your Library, and then fire up XCOM 2.

Take note of how things play out as regards the crashes.

If the XCOM 2 app no longer goes down with crashes, then you must see the improvement as confirmation that your antivirus had played some role in causing problems for you. In that case, you must identify and install a replacement for it, since your computer cannot be left to run without a protective utility.

You can get Auslogics Anti-Malware. Well, this superb security application should protect your computer without causing issues for you. This app hardly gets involved in software conflicts or interferes with the processes or services used by other programs, which means you are unlikely to experience issues with it. Considering the problems that compelled you to get rid of your antivirus in the first place, the recommended application is surely a good fit.

3. Disable Steam overlay:

Steam Overlay is useful functionality embedded in the Steam application that allows users to access their friends list quickly, use a web browser, and even make in-game DLC purchases. The feature comes in handy at times, but some users figured out that it had something to do with the frequent XCOM 2 crashes on their PCs. They noticed the game application goes down constantly when they have Steam Overlay enabled, but they experienced little to no trouble when the feature was not set to On.

We want you to disable Steam overlay and test things out. Here are the instructions you must follow:

• Run Steam as you have always done. Click on LIBRARY to see your installed games on the platform.
• Locate XCOM 2, right-click on this game to see its context menu, and then select Properties.

The Properties window for the selected game in Steam will be displayed now.

• Assuming you are on the General tab, you must tick on the box for the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game parameter to deselect it.
• Click on the CLOSE button dismiss the window and save the new configuration for XCOM 2 in Steam.
• Run XCOM 2 and keep an eye on crashes while you play the game.

4. Update your drivers:

The vast majority of game crashes in Windows are the results of computers using faulty or bad drivers to perform tasks or execute operations. If you are yet to find a way to stop the XCOM 2 application from going down with crashes during gameplay, then there is a good chance the crashes in your case have something to do with the old, outdated, or corrupted drivers operating on your system.

Your video or graphics driver, for example, might be the culprit. GPU drivers generally play an important role in the displaying of images or rendering of video for games and related applications. If our assumptions about your graphics driver being bad hold true, then you will have to update the driver to fix things. Besides your graphics driver, there are drivers for other devices involved in your game operations, which might also be responsible for the crashes. The Audio or sound driver is one good example.

We recommend you update the drivers for all the devices or components that make up your PC. This way, if any driver is faulty or bad, it will end up being replaced with a new stable driver – nothing gets left out. However, it is incredibly difficult to identify all the old, outdated, or corrupted drivers. The operation to find and install replacements for them is even more tedious and time-consuming.

Since it is impractical for you to perform the driver updating tasks manually – since there are so many drivers to work on – you are better off using a helpful program like Auslogics Driver Updater. This application will provide incredible assistance by first running a scan to identify the bad or problematic drivers, searching for updates to the drivers, and then proceeding to download and install the new driver versions as replacements. In other words, with the recommended tool, you can get your computer to run the latest drivers for all its components in no time and with little effort on your part.

Nevertheless, we have some information for users who might prefer to do the job on their own. First, you have to identify the bad, damaged, or faulty drivers on your computer somehow. After you know the drivers you need to replace, you can act to uninstall them from your system. These instructions cover the uninstallation procedure for a driver:

• First, you have to launch the Device Manager app. You can perform the task this way: Bring up the Power User menu list (of utilities and options) through the Windows button + letter X keyboard combination and then select Device Manager.
• Assuming the Device Manager window is now up, you must go through the listed categories. Locate the category housing the driver you intend to uninstall and then click on its expansion icon.
• Since the device whose software you want to remove is now visible, you must right-click on it to see its context menu and then select the Uninstall Device option.

You might have to click on the Uninstall or Yes button to confirm the operation – if a dialog box or window comes up to that effect. Windows will eventually work to remove the driver as you requested.

Depending on the number of bad drivers you identified, you might have to perform the uninstallation task several times to get rid of all of them. After you remove the drivers, you can proceed to search for their replacements on the web.

You can perform search operations on Google using the relevant keywords as queries to find a download page for the driver you need. After you click on the link to go the site, you should see the Download button or final option that allows your browser to fetch the new driver package.

You can also head to your PC manufacturer site, specify your computer model, build, system configuration, and other relevant parameters that define your machine. You should see the list of drivers released for the device over time. You will have to figure out the most recent and stable version of the lot and download it.

Whatever happens or regardless of the means you choose to go about the driver search process, you must be mindful of the risks and complications associated with getting software from the internet. Some files on the web are malicious or not what they seem to be. Ideally, you should avoid downloading stuff from shady, questionable, or unofficial sources. If you do not find what you need on trusted sites or official pages, then you might have little choice.

Besides watching out for malicious items, you must ensure that you download the precise (exact) version of the driver needed for the device on your computer. A similar or close version will not cut it. If you install the wrong driver or software meant for another computer, you are likely to run into problems, some of which might be worse than the issues you are struggling with now.

After you download a driver package, you have to click or double-click on it to get Windows to run it. To install the driver, you have to follow the instructions as they appear on the uninstaller window or uninstallation wizard and do what is asked of you. You must do things this way to install the latest driver versions for the devices on your computer as replacements for the bad drivers. Finally, once you finish installing all the drivers, you must restart your computer to round up your work and to ensure the new drivers become active. There and then, you can launch Steam, run XCOM 2 and try to play your game.

Other things you can try to resolve XCOM 2 crashes on Windows 10 PCs

If XCOM 2 still crashes while you play the game – even after you used the fixes described above – then you might want to attempt the procedures and workarounds on this final list.

5. Alter your saved files location (for the game):

If you use modded content for the game, then the alien items might have something to do with the crashes. You should be able to fix things by moving the saved files to another location for safekeeping and then deleting the original SaveData folder.

The saved files should be somewhere along the C:  \Users  \ INSERT YOUR USERNAME \ Documents \ my games \ XCOM2 \ XComGame \ SaveData path. The changes from the recommended operation should eliminate the crashes for good.

6. Reinstall DirectX.
7. Reinstall Vcredist (or run Vcredist executables).
8. Set Windows to run the game with your dedicated or discrete or high-powered GPU (the graphics card from NVIDIA or AMD), and not with the integrated or simple GPU (the graphics card from Intel).
9. Reduce the in-game settings and demands.