Victoria 3 keeps crashing on PC for many players. It could crash during startup or in the middle of a game. Some players specifically experience crashing before a map loads for a new campaign. Victoria 3 does not have the greatest optimization, which is likely the major cause behind these crashing issues.
However, other factors such as mods or antivirus software could also contribute to the problem. Fortunately, I have compiled all the best methods for fixing the crashing problems in Victoria 3.
Here are some basic solutions you can try before moving on to more complicated methods:
- Verify the minimum system requirements.
- Restart your PC.
- Make sure Victoria 3 and Windows are updated.
- Update your GPU drivers.
- Run Victoria 3 as Admin.
Follow these solutions to fix the crashing problem:
- Whitelist Victoria 3 in your antivirus software.
- Verify the integrity of your game files.
- Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
- Turn off in-game overlays.
- Disable fullscreen optimization.
Whitelist Victoria 3 In Antivirus
Your antivirus is responsible for protecting you from foreign threats. However, the software can sometimes assume that the safe applications on your PC are also threats. When this happens, these applications will not be allowed to operate as intended.
This can cause the application to crash every time you try to start it. The solution here is to whitelist Victoria 3 in your antivirus software. This will exclude Victoria 3 from the list of applications that the antivirus can quarantine, allowing it to work as normal. This is an effective solution also recommended by Valve.
Delete Mods
Most of the time, mods are the likely culprit behind your crashing problem. It could be corrupted mod files, an incorrect download, or a misplacement of the mods. These mods will also tank the overall performance of Victoria 3 as well, which isn’t great to begin with.
This is why I recommend deleting your mods to see if that fixes the crashing issue. You can also try deleting each mod individually to pinpoint any specific problems.
Verify Game Files
Every game on your PC has essential files that allow the game to work. However, these files can get corrupted or deleted by 3rd-party software on your PC. A corrupted update can also disrupt these files. When this happens, Victoria 3 will keep crashing on PC.
Fortunately, you can easily fix this through Steam by verifying the integrity of your game files. This built-in feature will scan your PC for bad game files and replace them with new ones. This is a popular
Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable contains runtime components required to run applications developed using Microsoft C and C++. In simpler terms, your games can’t run without the latest version of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
Some PCs don’t have the latest version or lack the software entirely, leading to crashing problems. Therefore, you must head over to the official webpage for Visual C++ Redistributable and download the latest version. Once done, launch Victoria 3 to see if it still crashes.
Disable In-Game Overlays
You will notice many notifications or widgets pop up over your screen while you’re playing Victoria 3. These are in-game overlays that can take up a lot of your PC’s processing power. Additionally, some overlays can directly contribute to the crashing as well.
I don’t believe these overlays are a necessity for an average gamer. As such, I recommend disabling every single in-game overlay. Steam overlay is especially bad, as many players have experienced crashing problems that are directly caused by the Steam overlay.
Disable Fullscreen Optimization
Fullscreen optimization is a Windows feature that tries to improve the performance and compatibility of applications when running in fullscreen mode. Enabling it will make it easier to tab out of games. However, it can introduce input lag and also cause performance issues.
My suggestion is to disable fullscreen optimization, especially if you’re experiencing performance-related issues.
My Final Thoughts
Victoria 3 is one of the games with below-average optimization, causing the crashing on PC. This issue has continued from update to update and haunts the player base until now. However, the developers have consistently been patching the game to fix the crashes.
Hotfix 1.5.11 is now live! Featuring a number of crash, out of sync and other fixes. As well as, a number of balance changes; including to attrition and convoy raiding!
Read the full changelog here: https://t.co/a3Dpuo10OM pic.twitter.com/9AZydnUKqq
— Victoria 3 (@PDXVictoria) December 13, 2023
Unfortunately, there seems to be an infinite cycle of crashing issues in Victoria 3. Almost every new update to the game brings along a new wave of crashing problems, with players reporting it across the Steam community and the official Victoria 3 forums.
Fortunately, the developers have very good communication with the community and always release bug fixes to improve the performance of Victoria 3.
Hello Victorians!
We have a hotfix today, 1.6.2! Which fixes the migration bug, as well as a number of other bugfixes! We are hopeful that performance is improved, but are continuing to investigate the causes of slowdown over time.
Read more here: https://t.co/F5KK3lPBmI pic.twitter.com/sxVoSFmCgk
— Victoria 3 (@PDXVictoria) March 14, 2024
As of now, the frequency of crashing issues has been reduced significantly. Still, they continue to affect some players. As developers always release more updates, I believe Victoria 3 will be further optimized until these crashing issues disappear completely.
Until then, I’m confident that this guide will help alleviate your crashing issues and allow you to enjoy Victoria 3 again.
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