🎮 Game Error Codes What it means & how to fix it

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Errors

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II crashes are mostly startup and DirectX problems, not server codes. Many launch crashes come from missing Visual C++ / DirectX runtimes, a mismatched DirectX mode, or a bad GPU driver — Nvidia's 572.16 driver caused crashes across several games and rolling back to 566.36 fixes it. Here's what each common problem means and the fastest fix.

Error codes

Crash at startup / won't launch The game closes before the main menu

Cause: Missing Visual C++ / DirectX runtimes, an outdated OS, or a corrupted install.

Fix:
  1. Install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables and the DirectX End-User Runtime from Microsoft, then reboot.
  2. Update Windows fully — an out-of-date OS is a confirmed cause of KCD2 launch crashes.
  3. Verify the game files in Steam (Properties -> Installed Files -> Verify integrity).
DirectX 12 crash (try -dx11) The game crashes under DirectX 12

Cause: A DX12-specific driver or hardware incompatibility.

Fix:
  1. Add '-dx11' to the Steam launch options (Properties -> General) to force DirectX 11.
  2. Update your GPU driver with a clean install.
  3. Clear the DirectX Shader Cache and relaunch.
DirectX 11 crash (try -dx12) The game crashes under DirectX 11

Cause: A DX11-specific driver or configuration issue.

Fix:
  1. Add '-dx12' to the Steam launch options to force DirectX 12.
  2. Update GPU drivers and Windows.
  3. Verify game files to rule out corruption.
Crashing after Nvidia 572.16 In-game crashes tied to a specific GPU driver

Cause: Nvidia driver 572.16 caused instability across several games, including KCD2.

Fix:
  1. Roll back to Nvidia driver 566.36 (clean install with DDU).
  2. If you prefer a newer driver, wait for a hotfix release and clean-install it.
  3. Remove GPU overclocks and set a frame-rate cap to reduce instability.
In-game crash / shader stutter The game crashes or freezes during play

Cause: A corrupted shader cache or overloaded settings.

Fix:
  1. Clear the DirectX Shader Cache in Windows Settings, then relaunch.
  2. Lower graphics settings and disable frame generation to test stability.
  3. Disable overlays and background recording apps.

Fixes that work for most Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) errors

  1. Verify/repair the game files (Steam: Properties -> Installed Files -> Verify integrity; other launchers: repair) — this replaces corrupted files behind most crashes and fatal errors.
  2. Update your GPU driver with a clean install (use DDU), and install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables (x86 and x64) plus the DirectX End-User Runtime — missing runtimes and stale drivers cause most launch crashes.
  3. Clear the DirectX Shader Cache (Windows Settings -> System -> Storage -> Temporary files, or Disk Cleanup) and delete the game's local shader/cache folder in AppData\Local, then relaunch.
  4. Disable overlays (Steam, Discord, GeForce Experience, Ubisoft Connect) and any third-party antivirus/VPN, and add the game to your firewall exceptions.
  5. Check the game's official server status before assuming a local problem — many named connection errors are a maintenance window or outage and clear on their own.

FAQ

How do I stop Kingdom Come: Deliverance II crashing at startup?

Startup crashes are usually missing runtimes or an out-of-date OS. Install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables and the DirectX End-User Runtime, fully update Windows (a confirmed cause of KCD2 launch crashes), and verify the game files in Steam. If it still crashes, try forcing DirectX 11 with the '-dx11' launch option.

Why did Kingdom Come: Deliverance II start crashing after a graphics driver update?

Nvidia driver 572.16 caused instability across several games including KCD2. Roll back to Nvidia driver 566.36 with a clean (DDU) install, or wait for a hotfix driver and clean-install it, and remove any GPU overclock while setting a frame-rate cap to reduce crashes.

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