Sniper Elite 5 Launch Errors, Bugs, & Crashes [FIXED]

Growing increasingly tired of Sniper Elite 5 launch errors, bugs, and crashes? Find out how to fix them in this complete error-fix guide.

As far as tactical third-person shooter games go, you’ll find the Sniper Elite franchise right at the very top of this enticingly thrilling genre. The latest iteration in the series has just been dropped, offering a more immersive experience better than ever with a gripping storyline and engaging combat gameplay.

However, plenty of bugs and glitches are currently plaguing the user experience of this otherwise stunning title, particularly the ones related to the start-up of the game. This guide will cover all the Sniper Elite 5 launch errors, bugs, and crashes that you should be wary of, including how to fix them as well. 

Key Highlights
  • Sniper Elite 5 is riddled with multiple launch errors, bugs, and crashes that restrict you from booting the game, as it is prone to crashing at the startup.
  • If you have purchased the game through the Xbox Game Pass, you are likely to encounter the Sniper Elite 5 EAC error.
  • The easiest way to avoid the EAC error is to simply create a desktop Icon of the game through Xbox Game Pass app on your PC and run Sniper Elite 5 as Administrator.
  • If your game is crashing on startup on PC, consider verifying the integrity of game files on Steam and toggle off the steam overlay. Additionally, update your graphics card driver.
  • Make sure to disable your antivirus and add Sniper Elite 5 to the list of allowed firewall apps if your game is not launching.
  • Keep an eye out for new updates by following the Official Twitter account of Sniper Elite 5.

Sniper Elite 5 Launch Issues

Sniper Elite 5 Launch Errors, Bugs, and Crashes
Sniper Elite 5 Launch Errors, Bugs, and Crashes

Sniper Elite 5 launch errors, bugs, and crashes are currently ubiquitous, we’re afraid. Some users cannot get past the initial loading screen while others find it a struggle to launch the shooter altogether. So far, the Sniper Elite 5 crashing on startup on PC seems to be the most bothersome of the bunch. It leads the line of other, similarly annoying problems like Sniper Elite 5 not launching and Sniper Elite 5 EAC error. 

The latter, in particular, relates to the Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) engine running for the game. A bug of some sort prevents the software from installing and thereby doesn’t allow the game to boot up properly.

None of this is a bit desirable, and players are left wondering how to play the game that they’ve bought using their money. Fret not though. There are some techniques that can help you fix these issues and resume playing Karl Fairburne’s story.

Let’s take a look at what these methods are in the next section ahead. 

All Sniper Elite 5 Launch Errors, Bugs, and Crashes

The following is our round-up of all the major problems affecting Sniper Elite 5 at the moment along with their designated solutions. Keep on reading to discover what makes these persistent problems tick. Lastly, be sure to implement the provided instructions as they’re scribbled down for the best results. 

How to Fix Sniper Elite 5 EAC Error

The Sniper Elite 5 EAC error surfaces particularly if you had bought the game through the Xbox Game Pass. This is one of the most resilient Sniper Elite 5 launch errors, bugs, and crashes that isn’t going away anytime soon unless you do something about it.

Apparently, when you try launching the game, you’re prompted to download the Easy Anti-Cheat software for it. Halfway through that process, the operation abruptly ends. 

This leaves you with nothing but distress since the error keeps repeating itself no matter how much you try fixing it. The problem actually surfaces when the game app doesn’t have enough permissions to access the restricted “Game Pass” folder on your Windows PC.

All this is to install the Easy Anti-Cheat software, but the affair just isn’t workable due to a lack of rights. 

Funnily enough, there’s a plain and simple way that you can use to get the tactical third-person shooter working and resolve one of these Sniper Elite 5 errors. Since this is a matter of allotting permissions to the game file, why not do just that with the help of some good, old administrator privileges? 

Create a Desktop Icon of the Game and Run It as an Administrator

The first thing that we’ll tend to in this regard is run Sniper Elite 5 as an administrator. We’re sure you already acknowledge how deeply effective this effortless strategy can be. It’s something that helps us resolve the different Salt and Sacrifice issues, not to mention a slew of other problems surfacing across different IPs. What needs to be done here, however, warrants a tiny extra step as compared to pulling this off in usual terms.

You first have to venture to the Sniper Elite 5 executable game file on your Windows PC and create a shortcut icon for it on your desktop. We’ll do this to streamline the process for the days to come.

An easy way to create a desktop shortcut for the title without having to dig it up separately from the Windows Explorer app is available as well. Go to the Xbox Game Pass app on your PC, and right-click on “Sniper Elite 5” as shown below.

Once done, click on “Create desktop shortcut” to do just that and complete one-half of this process. You can also click on “Manage” and find an option to make a shortcut for the game, but that won’t be necessary at the moment.  

Clicking on "Create desktop shortcut"
Clicking on “Create desktop shortcut”

After creating the desktop shortcut, go to your Windows PC’s home screen and find the game’s shortcut icon sitting there. Perform a right-click yet again to bring forth several options on the screen. Click on “Run as administrator” to bring up the initial Sniper Elite 5 player window.

Sniper Elite 5 launch errors, bugs, and crashes
Running Sniper Elite 5 as an Administrator

The next step is utterly simple. All you have to do is click on the vividly apparently “Play” button and you’ll be done for the most part. Check out the screenshot below for a visual explanation of this step.

Sniper Elite 5 crashing on launch
Clicking on the “Play” Button

After clicking on “Play,” it’s almost definite that you won’t be running into the same “Sniper Elite 5 error launching the game” issue followed by a long string of a code. Instead, you’ll happily visualize the “Rebellion” display text followed by the Sniper Elite 5 title screen. Congratulations! Time to finally get into the vast stretches of the game. 

Sniper Elite 5 EAC error
Sniper Elite 5 Launched Successfully

How to Fix Sniper Elite 5 Crashing on Startup on PC

The Sniper Elite 5 crashing on startup on PC hassle pertains to either the game’s configuration files or the way your Windows 10 PC accesses the main Sniper Elite 5 executable application.

There are a bunch of things to try here, however, if your issue does not relate to the Xbox Game Pass. That’s because we’ve already laid out the definitive fix for that scenario in the section above. Feel free to replicate it as many times as you’d like. 

Verify Integrity of Sniper Elite 5’s Files on Steam 

We’ve deciphered yet another tried-and-tested fix for the various Sniper Elite 5 errors and it’s nowhere near difficult to perform. We’ll be harnessing a tip-top Steam feature for this purpose here to reap the results we need.

The famous platform has a built-in tool where it verifies game files and checks for any corruptions within the mix. It also scours the game folders for files that are missing or need to be replaced all in a moment’s time. 

If you’ve got files unavailable in places where they’re supposed to be, Sniper Elite 5 just won’t run nor will it let you launch it. Therefore, verifying the integrity of game files on Steam is a logical approach to go through with. We’ll be showing you how to get this done in some genuinely easy-to-follow steps, so sit tight and follow along with the tutorial below.

  1. The first step is to launch your Steam client. The best way to do that is using the Windows Start menu. You can also launch it directly from the Taskbar if you have it pinned there. Launching SteamLaunching Steam
  2. The next step is to hover over “Sniper Elite 5” in your games library and perform a right-click on it. This will reveal several more options for you. Click on “Properties” to get to the next step. 
    Sniper Elite 5 not launching
    Accessing Game Properties
  3. The last thing you have to do before finally coming to an end to this fix is specified in the screenshot below. Click on “Local Files” first on the left column and that should change the contents of the screen for you.
  4. You will then simply select “Verify integrity of game files” and that will do the trick for us. Steam will take a brief moment to start the verification process and then begin double-checking the game files. Rest assured, you’ll be done soon.
     invalid game executable win64 paladins.exe fix
    Verifying Integrity of Game Files
  5. Once the process finishes, restart the Steam client and try launching the tactical shooter another go to see if it works now. The game shouldn’t bring forth any error prompt again, having tended to the game files accurately. With that said, in the unlikely case that you still have to put up with the Sniper Elite 5 not launching issue, continue reading for more solutions to try.

Disable Steam Overlay

Steam Overlay is a launcher feature that enables players to use the platform’s various community-centric features while in-game. It primarily lets you take a quick glance at your friends, their activity, the latest and ongoing news highlights, and, of course, your achievements panel. It’s a fairly decent utility, but it’s known to interfere with the work of the Easy Anti-Cheat engine that Sniper Elite 5 verily uses on some occasions. 

That is why we need to try disabling the Steam Overlay functionality to see if it would do anything for the Sniper Elite 5 crashing on startup issue. This may not work for some of you out there, but it’s definitely worth a shot.

Turning the feature off is pretty effortless. All you have to do is open up the “Properties” of the title in question, make sure you’re within the “General” tab, and click on the toggle beside “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.” That should promptly do the trick for you.

Disabling the Steam Overlay Feature
Disabling the Steam Overlay Feature

As soon as you’ve gone through the process, try launching Rebellion Games’ freshly released shooter again to see if you’ve managed to fix the issue. Continue reading to try yet another potential solution if the issue still wasn’t resolved. 

Get Your Graphics Drivers Up to Speed

Keeping your dedicated graphics drivers up-to-speed with their respective manufacturer always bodes well for a PC, especially if you play games on it. Sniper Elite 5’s consistent crashing on the device might possibly be resulting from this particular reason as well, given that you might not have fully updated drivers on your PC.

We’re leaving links for two of the most popular graphics card manufacturers’ websites across the spectrum below. 

Visit the official support page on the site using the given links and enter your product’s information to download the relevant updates. Shouldn’t be too hard to do that. As soon as you’ve confirmed that your graphics drivers are all fully updated, proceed toward launching Sniper Elite 5 and see if your efforts come to fruition.

On a side note, you can also check manually if your graphics drivers need an update or not. This is a quick and easy way of accomplishing the task at hand. Check out the following instructions for step-by-step guidance in this regard. 

  1. The first step is to fire up the “Device Manager” system application on the PC. An easy way of doing that is by right-clicking the “Windows” icon in the top-left corner of the operating system’s interface, followed by clicking on the app in question. Sniper Elite 5 not launchingOpening Device Manager on a Windows PC
  2. A separate window will launch as soon as you click on “Device Manager.” This is where you’ll be effortlessly able to get your graphics drivers up to speed. Click on the “Display adapters” entry to reveal your GPU.
  3. Right-click on the latter to expand the area. Once done, click on “Update driver” and you should be good to go until the next step.
    Updating the Graphics Drivers on Windows
    Updating the Graphics Drivers on Windows
  4. A prompt will appear asking you, “How do you want to search for drivers?” Simply select the first option, which is, “Search automatically for drivers.” That way, the system will commence the hunt for any pending updates that your GPU hasn’t received yet. Your graphics drivers will be updated if Windows detects anything workable. After a brief moment, you’ll see that the update process will begin. 
    Searching Automatically to Update the Graphics Drivers
    Searching Automatically to Update the Graphics Drivers
  5. That’s about it for updating your graphics drivers on Windows 10. Having an up-to-date GPU is a surefire way of preventing the Sniper Elite 5 crashing on startup on PC issue from popping up, let alone fixing it. Try launching the game now to see if the issue has been resolved. 

How to Fix Sniper Elite 5 Not Launching

Apart from the game crashing as soon as it launches, another form of error has taken shape for Sniper Elite 5 players. This is when the game refuses to launch at all, thereby making players recede to their previous state and leave them at an impasse.

From what we can gather, there are two different stratagems to employ here and hopefully get the title to start working again. Let’s see what they are ahead.  

Allow the Game Through Windows Firewall

One of the first things that you should go after for verification is your built-in Windows Firewall settings. From what it appears to be, Sniper Elite 5 is being treated as some sort of a threat to your Windows PC and isn’t being allowed to run like it wants to. This is where trouble springs up and the game goes to sleep as soon as you click on it.

Fortunately, there is a way to test whether it is Windows Firewall that isn’t letting the third-person shooter breathe in peace.

Follow the steps given ahead to learn the process of allowing an app through the Windows Firewall program. We’ll do our best to explain the operation in simple-to-understand terms. 

  1. Your first task is to open the “Firewall and network protection” section of Windows Security on your PC. You can do that by simply searching for it using the Windows Start menu. Complete this to get to the next step.Opening "Firewall and network protection"
  2. Opening “Firewall and network protection”
  3. Once done, a new window will launch and it’ll be a part of the Windows Security department, as mentioned earlier. You now have to click on “Allow an app through firewall” to get to the next step. Clicking on "Allow an app through firewall"
  4. Clicking on “Allow an app through firewall”
  5. You now have to make a couple of clicks in the following window that opens after completing the last step. Click on “Change settings” first to make the “Allow another app” option accessible. Once done, click on the latter and see yourself opening another window. Setting Up the App to be Allowed Through Firewall
  6. Setting Up the App to be Allowed Through Firewall
  7. A small-scale window will open up just after you complete the next step. This is where you’ll have to click on “Browse” and search your computer for the main Sniper Elite 5 executable game file application. From what we can gather, you only have to add a single distinct process of the game to the designated area in this step, which is the main “sniperelite5” file. Sniper Elite 5 crashing on startup on PC
  8. Selecting the Main Sniper Elite 5 File to be Allowed Through Firewall
  9. Once you have found the Sniper Elite 5 executable file application, select and add it to the list of inclusive apps. This will take you back to the previous small-scale window where the Sniper Elite 5 game file will be listed with a specific name under the “Apps” section. Click on “Add” to allow the game app through Windows Firewall. You’ve made most of the progress completing this step. Continue the hustle to get to the bottom of it all.
    Adding the Application to Windows Firewall
  10. Adding the Application to Windows Firewall
  11. You’re quite not done yet. You just have to go through one more simple step now to finalize the process. Check the box for “Public” and “Private” connections for Windows Firewall on the “Allowed apps” window. You can do this for the Sniper Elite 5 executable file. Lastly, don’t forget to click on “OK” as soon as you’re done to save your progress.  
  12. That’s about it for this potential solution for the Sniper Elite 5 not launching issue issue. Now that you’ve finally allowed the game through Windows Firewall, launch it on your end to see if it brings favorable results. 

Turn Your Antivirus Software Off

Several fellow snipers have reported that the Windows Defender service on the operating system is somehow preventing the game from launching appropriately.

The same goes for any other antivirus software that you might have installed on your PC for safekeeping purposes. We definitely have to attempt and disable whatever anti-malware program our device runs.   

Therefore, if you’ve got the Windows Firewall Defender software up and running on your device, try turning it off temporarily to see if that would help solve the problem at hand. The following steps will tell you how to do just that, so keep on reading for more information. 

  1. Get started by searching for “Windows Security” in the Windows Search bar. Click on the application when it pops up to get to the next step.Sniper Elite 5 launch issues
  2. Opening Windows Security
  3. Right after that, select the “Virus and threat protection” section to move forward. In the final step, you should be able to disable your Windows antivirus software. Selecting the Virus and Threat Protection Settings
  4. Selecting the Virus and Threat Protection Settings
  5. In the final step, simply turn off the following features in the “Virus and threat protection settings” section. All you have to do is click on the respective toggle underneath each setting to disable it. This should be fairly simple to complete.
     Disabling All of the Virus and Threat Protection Settings
  6. Disabling All of the Virus and Threat Protection Settings
  7. You’ve now fully disabled your operating system’s in-built antivirus program in the hope of resolving the bug in question. However, it’s worth noting that this strategy goes for any third-party antivirus software that you’ve installed as well. 

Therefore, other antivirus software that you may have installed on your Windows PC, such as Norton, Malwarebytes, Avira, or Avast can possibly detect Sniper Elite 5 as a threat and hinder it from connecting to online servers.

You have to try turning their core functionality off if you’re using any other antivirus program instead of Windows Defender. 

Try this and launch the game to see if you can finally make it run like normal. There’s a likelihood that you now can, but do let us know down in the comments section if you’re truly able to play or not. 

Despite all the crowd and the thrill that the game packs for its name, there’s quite a bit that is putting players off with respect to the title.

At the moment, Sniper Elite 5 launch errors, bugs, and crashes plague the third-person shooter, making it darn near impossible to start it up and start playing. This has been reason enough for us to jot this write-up down and list a number of fixes that have worked for people across the spectrum. 

While you’re at that, we do recommend following Sniper Elite’s official Twitter handle to stay up-to-date with everything recent. For instance, the developers tweeted the following on May 26, saying they’re aware of how the game cannot be launched on Windows PCs.

As you can comprehend from the screenshot below, the devs also tweeted a temporary solution to the issue in question. The tip that they’ve left does prove to be working.  

Sniper Elite 5 launch errors, bugs, and crashes
Sniper Elite 5 Developers on Twitter

Do let us know down in the comments section if you found this guide helpful for your cause. As always, eXputer wishes you good luck! 

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Moiz Banoori.


Having worked at various Video Game sites, coupled with 7 years of Content Writing Experience. I presently monitor teams, create strategies, and publish qualified pieces through my aptitude.

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