[Fixed] Risk of Rain 2 game crashes, low FPS, Stuttering, Black Screen issues

Risk of Rain 2 seeks to add layers of fun gaming mechanics to what its predecessor, Risk of Rain offered. The roguelike third-person shooter game came out in Early Access, and millions of gamers were already all over it, which wasn’t a surprise, given all it had to offer. However, Windows 10 gamers are facing lots of challenges while playing the game.

If you’re playing Risk of Rain 2 on Windows 10 and are experiencing problems such as the game not launching, random crashes, FPS drops, and stuttering issues, this article will show you some fixes and tweaks that you can apply to get gaming again.

Check if You can Run the Game

Before you start playing, check if your computer is equipped to run the game. You’ll find the minimum and recommended requirements of the game below:

Minimum Requirements

Operating System: Windows 7 or later (must be 64-bit)

CPU: AMD FX-8350; Intel Core i3-6100

System Memory (RAM): 4 GB

GPU: AMD HD 7870; Nvidia GTX 580

DirectX: Version 11

Disk Space: 4 GB free hard drive space

Recommended Requirements

Operating System: Windows 7 or later (must be 64-bit)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1500X; Intel Core i5-4670K

System Memory (RAM): 4 GB

GPU: AMD HD 7970; Nvidia GTX 680

DirectX: Version 11

Disk Space: 4 GB free hard drive space

You should note that these requirements might change in the future, depending on the course of the game’s development because Risk of Rain 2 is an Early Access game at this time.

How to Fix Risk of Rain 2 Launch and Crash Issues

Launch issues on Risk of Rain 2 are fairly common, and so are random crashes. While some users reported that the launch problem had disappeared after they updated the game, some still experienced the issue even after installing the latest update. The same goes for users who were experiencing crashing issues.

If your computer meets the requirements of the game and you have installed the latest update but are still experiencing the crash and launch challenges, you might be dealing with other problems on your system such as corrupt game files, outdated drivers, and antivirus interference, among others.

The fixes in this segment will show you how to resolve the crashing issue, whether it happens at startup or during gameplay. Before you begin, however, try rebooting your computer whenever the game crashes or refuses to launch and check if that resolves the problem.

Run the Steam Client as an Administrator

You can run Steam as an administrator by right-clicking its shortcut and selecting Properties or by right-clicking the program in the Start menu and choosing Run as Administrator. However, you should note that you’ll have to repeat these steps whenever you want to launch the app.

To make Windows run Steam as an Administrator whenever you launch it, follow these steps:

1. Close Steam if it’s still running.
2. Open a File Explorer window and navigate to Steam’s installation folder. You can use the search function in File Explorer to locate the folder. Normally, though, the path to the folder is:

Local Disk (C:) >> Program Files (x86) >> Steam

3. Once you get to the folder, locate the EXE file of the program, right-click it, and then click on Properties in the context menu.
4. Go to the Compatibility tab once the Properties dialog opens.
5. Under the Compatibility tab, tick the checkbox that says, “Run this program as an administrator,” and then click on the OK button.
6. Now, try running the game and check if the issue is resolved.

Add the Game as an Exception in Your Antivirus

Some antivirus programs are known to notoriously block certain game files, causing the game to crash on startup or during gameplay. If you can’t get the game to launch or are experiencing sudden crashes few minutes into gameplay, add the game to your antivirus program’s exception or whitelist, depending on the system protection suite you use, and check whether that resolves the problem.

You can find out how to do this for your particular antivirus program by going online and checking out the guide on the website of the developer. The antivirus tool in Windows Defender might also be blocking some of your game files. The guide below will show you how to add Risk of Rain 2 as an exclusion in Windows Defender’s Virus and Threat Protection suite:

1. Open the Start menu and launch the Settings app.
2. Once Settings opens, click on Update & Security on the home screen.
3. Go to the left pane of the Update & Security page and click on Windows Security.
4. Move your mouse pointer over to the right pane and click on Virus & Threat Protection under Protection Areas.
5. Once the Virus & Threat Protection screen appears, click on Manage Settings under Virus & Threat Protection Settings.
6. Scroll down to Exclusions on the next screen and click on “Add or remove exclusions.”
7. Now, click on “Add an exclusion” once you get to the Exclusions screen and select Folder from the drop-down.
8. Once the Select Folder dialog opens, locate the installation folder of Risk of Rain 2, left-click it, and then click on the Select Folder button.
9. Now, launch the game and check if the problem persists.

If you still experience the crashing issue, try disabling your antivirus program temporarily and check if that helps. Some users reported that this is how they fixed the problem. The switch to disable your antivirus program should be easy to find. If you don’t know what to do, you can always refer to online guides. To disable the Virus & Threat Protection tool of Windows defender, follow the steps below:

1. 1. Go to the rightmost part of your taskbar, click on the “Show hidden icons” arrow, and then click on the white shield in the icon tray that shows up.
   2. Windows Security will now open.
   3. Click on the Virus & Threat Protection tile.
   4. On the next screen, click on Manage Settings under Virus & Threat Protection Settings.
   5. Now, toggle off “Real-time protection” once the Virus & Threat Protection Settings window appears.
   6. Try running the game and check for the issue.

Make Sure your Time and Date Settings are Correct

Your system’s Time and Date settings are possible culprits for the game’s confusing launch errors. While this might sound weird, many users were able to clear the launching issue by setting their date and time. Your current time and date, especially your time zone, might be out of sync with the game, causing it to produce the error. If you don’t remember how to set things right in this regard, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to the right part of your taskbar, beside the notification icon, and right-click on the Time and Date display.
2. Select “Adjust date/time” from the menu.
3. Once the Date & Time Settings screen shows up, toggle on the switches under “Set time automatically” and “Set time zone automatically.”
4. Once you’ve done this, restart the game and check if you can launch it without issues.

Verify the Integrity of the Game’s Files

When you download Risk of Rain 2, you’re actually downloading files that make the game work. If any of these files become corrupt or go missing for any reason, you’ll experience serious issues, especially crashing and launching problems. Thankfully, you can easily use the Steam Client to scan your game files and check if any is missing or corrupt.

The program will compare the files you currently have on your computer with those on the game’s servers. If Steam finds any irregularity, such as a malfunctioning or missing file, it will attempt to download and replace the problem file. To run the scan and fix the problem, follow the simple guide below:

1. Go to the Start menu and launch Steam or double-click the app’s shortcut.
2. Once the Steam Client opens, click on Library at the top of the window.
3. Locate Risk of Rain 2, right-click it and click on Properties.
4. Switch to the tab called Local Files and click on the “Verify integrity of game files” button.
5. Steam will now start checking your game files.
6. Allow the process to complete. When it’s done, Steam will report the results of the scan.
7. Now, relaunch Risk of Rain 2 and check for the issue.

Fix Issues with Your Graphics Card Driver

Your graphics card is one of the main components that determine how well you play any game, and much of the card’s performance relies on the current driver you’re using. In most cases, where games crash and fail to launch, the graphics card driver is either corrupt, missing, or out-of-date. It’s not always enough to have a high-end GPU that even surpasses the game’s recommended requirements; you have to make sure you’re running an up-to-date driver that is compatible with both your OS and the game.

For starters, try reinstalling your graphics card in case an improper installation is responsible for your launching and crashing woes. You have to do this via Device manager, and if you don’t know how to, the guide below will walk you through the process:

1. Open the Run dialog box by punching the Windows logo key and the R key simultaneously
2. Once Run shows up, type “Devmgmt.msc” into the text field and click the OK button.
3. After the Device Manager window appears, go straight to the Display Adapters drop-down where you’ll see your graphics card entry.
4. Right-click your card and click on Uninstall Device.
5. Once the Uninstall Device pop-up asks you to confirm your decision, click on Uninstall and allow Windows to complete the process.
6. Reboot your system and head back to Device Manager.
7. Go to the top of the Device Manager window and click on the magnifier icon or click on Action, and then select “Scan for hardware changes” from the context menu.
8. Windows will now scan your system for driver changes and attempt to reinstall the driver you just uninstalled.
9. Reboot your system once the process completes and check for the crashing or launching issue.

If your system fails to reinstall the driver or you find out that reinstalling the driver yields no result, try installing the latest driver software of your graphics card. Your current driver might be out of date and lacking the required software components to run the game smoothly. You can update your graphics card driver, using different methods, which we’ll show you one by one.

Use Dedicated Software

Using a program that will take the stress off your hands and automate the entire process is the best way to install the most recent version of your graphics card driver. Auslogics Driver Updater is one of the best applications suited to this purpose. The tool will scan your system for missing, corrupt, or outdated device drivers and automatically download and install their latest versions.

If your graphics card driver happens to be encountering any issue that’s making it spoil your fun, the app will present the driver after completing the scan. It’ll be left to you to tell the program to update the driver. The upside of using Auslogics Driver Updater is that you get to relax and find out if your driver is bad or not and update it with just a few clicks.

Here’s how to use Auslogics Driver Updater:

1. Download the program’s installer from this web page.
2. Go to the folder where you saved the installer and double-click it to run it.
3. Once the installation wizard appears, choose a language and prompt the installation to begin.
4. Choose other preferences and complete the process.
5. Once the tool has been installed, it’ll run automatically and scan your system for drivers with issues.
6. If your graphics card driver has any fault, it’ll show up in the list of problem drivers.
7. Prompt the tool to update the driver and wait for a few minutes for the process to be completed.
8. Reboot your system and check for the issue you’re facing once the update process completes.

Use Device Manager

Device manager is not always reliable when it comes to updating device drivers. This is because it fails to search for and identify the latest device driver in certain situations. That said, it’s still a viable means to update your graphics card driver, even though using dedicated software is better. Follow these steps to use Device Manager:

1. Open the Run dialog box by punching the Windows logo key and the R key simultaneously.
2. Once Run shows up, type “Devmgmt.msc” into the text field and click the OK button.
3. After the Device Manager window appears, go straight to the Display Adapters drop-down where you’ll see your graphics card entry.
4. Right-click your card and click on Update Driver.
5. After the Update Driver window appears, click on “Search automatically for updated driver software,” and Windows will begin to search for the most recent version of your display driver on the internet.
6. Once the scan completes, the updated driver will be installed on your computer if Windows finds it.
7. Reboot your system and launch the game to check if the launch or crashing issue has been resolved.

Updating manually

You can choose to take things into your hands and look for the updated driver yourself. What you should understand, though, is that doing this is stressful and quite risky. If you’re not careful, you might download and install driver software that is incompatible, which means you’ll have to start afresh to look for the right driver.

Taking the manual route involves going to the website of your card’s manufacturer and searching for the updated driver software of your video adapter. You have to make sure the driver you’re downloading matches the make and model of your GPU.

Modify Your Config File if You Can’t Press the Continue Button on Startup

One of the common problems for most users is that they can’t get to press the Continue button once the game starts because the button is greyed out. If you’re experiencing this issue, some users found a working solution. What you need to do is replace the contents of an XML file in the game’s folder. Follow these steps closely to do just that:

1. Close the game.
2. Close the Steam Client and open it again.
3. Navigate to the Steam subfolder where your user profiles are stored. Normally, the path to the folder should be:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\Your_Account_Number \632360\remote\UserProfiles

4. Locate the XML file in the UserProfiles folder. The name of the file should be a combination of random characters.
5. Open the file in Notepad or Notepad++, then replace the contents in Notepad with that of a friend who can click on the Continue button. You can also go to some Steam communities to find a config file that works.
6. Once you’re done, save your changes in Notepad and relaunch the game from Steam.

Reinstall Risk of Rain 2

If your game keeps crashing or still refuses to launch, the next thing to do is to reinstall it. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open the Steam Client.
2. Click on Library at the top of the window.
3. Locate Risk of Rain 2, right-click it, and then click on Uninstall.
4. Click on Delete on the confirmation prompt.
5. Allow Steam to remove the game completely.
6. Once the program removes the game from your system, go to the Start menu and restart your machine.
7. Now, launch Steam again, search for Risk of Rain 2, and then install the game.
8. Check for the problem, and it should be resolved this time.

Reinstall the Steam Client

You’ll have to consider reinstalling Steam if the previous fix proves unsuccessful. This method helped some users solve the issue because some corrupted Steam files turned out to be the reason for the launch issue. Follow these steps:

Backup your game files before you go ahead:

1. Summon a File Explorer window and get to the installation folder of Steam. You can locate the Steam directory, using the search utility. You can also right-click on the Steam shortcut on your Desktop and select Open File Location from the context menu. Normally, the path to the folder should be:

Local Disk (C:) >> Program Files (x86) >> Steam

2. After you locate the Steam folder, right-click the Steamapps subfolder, and then select Copy from the context menu or use the Ctrl + C hotkey.
3. Move over to a different folder (Creating a new folder on your Desktop is a good idea), right-click it, then click on Paste from the context menu. You can also use the Ctrl + V shortcut to paste the Steamapps folder into the new directory.

Now, to reinstall Steam, follow the guide below:

1. Right-click the Start button and click on Settings in the menu that pops up or launch the Settings app, using the Windows + I hotkey.
2. When you get to the home screen of the Settings app, click the Apps icon.
3. Summon Steam, using the search function under Apps and Features.
4. Once Steam comes up, click on it, then click on the Uninstall button that fades out right beneath it.
5. Confirm your decision, then follow the subsequent instructions in the wizard and restart your PC once Windows completes the process.
6. Now, download and install Steam.
7. Set your preferences by following the instructions on the installation wizard.
8. Once the installation process is complete, locate the Steamapps folder that you backed up earlier, copy it, then paste it to the new Steam installation folder.
9. Launch Risk of Rain 2 and check if it launches without issues and also check for the crash problem.

How to Fix Risk of Rain 2 Lags

If you have a gaming laptop with adequate specifications to run Risk of Rain 2, but still find that the game lags and you suffer FPS drops, this segment will show you how to Risk of Rain 2 stuttering issues and other related bugs.

Before you go ahead, though, make sure your graphics card driver and Windows are up-to-date. Also, ensure you have installed the latest update for the game. You can also go to the Discord support page and install any patch you find there, as this helped some users. Now, let’s move over to the fixes!

Adjust Your Power Options

By default, Windows manages how your system consumes power by tweaking how its CPU performs. Some power options will limit your processor’s performance to save your PC’s battery life (especially when you use a laptop). The default power option is usually Balanced, but for some reason, this configuration does not seem to work well with Risk of Rain 2. To resolve the issue, try using a different plan. Follow these steps:

1. Punch the Windows logo key and the R key simultaneously to summon the Run dialog box.
2. Once Run appears, type “Control Panel” (no quotes) into the text field and hit Enter.
3. Wait for the Control Panel window to show up.
4. On Control Panel’s home screen, on the Category view, click on the System and Security option, then click on Power Options. Alternatively, you can click on the “View by” drop-down menu located in the top-right corner of the Control Panel home page and select Small Icons, then locate Power Options and click it.
5. After the Power Options window appears, click on “Create a power plan” in the left pane of the window.
6. Under Create a Power Plan, select the High-Performance radio button and click on Next.
7. On the next screen, select the time it will take for Windows to turn off your computer’s screen and how long before your PC goes to sleep. Once you’ve chosen your power options, click on the Create button.
8. Your performance-based power plan will be selected by default once you’ve created it.
9. Launch Risk of Rain 2 and check if it still lags.

Set the Game’s Processor Affinity

Processor affinity, or processor pinning as it’s also called, is the function in Windows that lets you force a program to use all the cores of your computer’s CPU. Risk of Rain 2 might be lagging because the game is prohibited from using some of your processor cores. To fix this issue, go to Task Manager and assign all cores to the game. Here are the steps you should follow:

1. Make sure the game is running.
2. Right-click on your taskbar and click on Task Manager when the menu pops up or press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc buttons simultaneously to launch the Task Manager.
3. After the Task Manager window opens, locate Risk of Rain 2, right-click it, and then click Go to Details in the context menu.
4. Once you’re redirected to the Details tab, right-click Risk of Rain and click on the Set Affinity option.
5. Once the Processor Affinity window shows up, tick the boxes for every CPU core in the window and click on OK.
6. Relaunch the game and check if you can now play smoothly.

Customize the Graphics Performance for Risk of Rain 2

You can prompt Windows to run Risk of Rain 2 in “High Performance” mode by going through the Settings app. Follow the steps below:

1. Launch the Settings app, using the Windows + I shortcut.
2. Click on System once the Settings home screen shows up.
3. Once you get to the Display screen, scroll down and click on Graphics Settings.
4. Make sure you select Classic App in the “Customize an app to set preference” drop-down under Graphics Performance Preference.
5. Click on the Browse button, then navigate to the EXE file of Risk of Rain 2 and double-click it.
6. Once the game shows up, click on the Options button, then select High Performance.
7. Launch the game and check if the low FPS issue is resolved.

Conclusion

We hope that these fixes helped you resolve the issues you’ve been facing when playing Risk of Rain 2. Use Auslogics BoostSpeed to improve your system’s performance and speed, so you get to enjoy smooth and uninterrupted gameplay. If you have thoughts you’d like to share, use the comments section under this article.