Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is an action role-playing game set in an open-world environment. Developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft in 2018, it is available on multiple platforms, including Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Recently, following an update, many players have reported encountering a black screen issue on PC. Users have stated that the game freezes on a black screen when they attempt to launch it. Additionally, there is no sound during this time, making the situation even more frustrating. Players are left with no option but to press Alt+F4 to exit the game, as nothing else seems to work. This bug has proven to be quite frustrating for those affected.
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Fix: Assassins Creed Odyssey Black Screen After Startup
The chances are high enough that Assassins Creed Odyssey’s black screen may appear due to a PC configuration compatibility issue with the game’s system requirements. Meanwhile, having an outdated graphics driver, missing or corrupted game files, an outdated game version, issues with DirectX, overlay app issues, higher in-game graphics settings, etc. can cause several issues with the black screen while the game launches.
It’s worth mentioning to check out the game’s system requirements from the mentioned link to ensure no compatibility issue appears on your computer.
1. Disable Full-Screen Optimizations
- First, go to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Assassins Creed Odyssey\Binaries\Win64 directory. [If you’ve installed the Steam client or game on another drive or location, then head over there]
- Right-click on the Assassins Creed Odyssey.exe file and click on Properties.
- Go to the Compatibility tab > Uncheck the Enable Fullscreen Optimizations toggle.
- Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
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2. Run the game as an Administrator
To avoid user account control regarding privilege issues, run the game exe file as an administrator. It would be best if you also run the Steam client as an administrator on your PC. To do this:
- Right-click on Assassins Creed Odyssey exe shortcut file on your PC.
- Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
- Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.
3. Check Graphics Driver Update
Check whether the graphics driver update on your PC is outdated. Sometimes an outdated GPU driver version or corrupted driver can cause several issues. It’ll also help you fix the black screen-related issues with games or applications. To do so:
- Press the Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
- Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
- Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.
- Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
- If an update is available, the system will automatically download & install it.
- Once done, restart the computer to apply changes.
4. Update Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
If you haven’t updated your Assassins Creed Odyssey game for a while, then make sure to follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). To do this:
Steam Launcher Users:
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Assassins Creed Odyssey from the left pane.
- It’ll automatically search for the available update. If an update is available, make sure to click on Update.
- It may take some time to install the update > close the Steam client.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and relaunch the game.
Epic Launcher Users:
- Open the Epic Launcher client > Go to Library > Look for Assassins Creed Odyssey from the left pane.
- You must tap on the three-dot icon on your Assassins Creed Odyssey application.
- Make sure to check the auto-update to get a new update installation automatically.
- It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again
5. Check System Resources
If the game loads slowly or takes too long to start, check the system resources after launching the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey game on your PC by following the steps below to see whether the RAM or CPU Usage increases.
- Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
- Click on the Processes tab > Select the task you want to close.
- Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
- Once done, restart your computer to change effects immediately.
6. Disable Overlay Applications
According to some affected players, overlay applications can run in the background while gaming, and they consume system resources, which can also cause issues with gameplay.
So, disabling them before launching the game will be useful if you’re not using any dedicated overlay application for chatting, taking screenshots, or recording gameplay sessions. To do so:
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
- Now, right-click on Assassins Creed Odyssey > Select Properties.
- Head over to the General section > Here, uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay checkbox.
- Go back to Library > Re-open Assassins Creed Odyssey to check whether the black screen issue is happening.
7. Check Windows Updates
The chances are also high that your Windows OS build becomes outdated for a while. In that scenario, your gameplay performance will have a lot of impact, apart from bugs or stability issues. So, it’s always better to check for Windows updates and install the latest version (if available). To do that:
- Press the Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
- Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.
- If there is an update available, select Download and Install.
- Wait for some time until the update gets completed.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes immediately.
8. Lower in-game Graphics Settings
Try lowering the in-game graphics settings from the game menu to see if that helps. Disable V-Sync, Shadow effects, and Anti-Aliasing, and run the game at a lower display resolution to fix black screen-related issues.
9. Update DirectX
Sometimes, an outdated DirectX version or missing DirectX can cause multiple issues with the game’s launch or gameplay. It would be best if you tried following the steps below to update it.
- Head to this Microsoft link to download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer on your PC.
- Next, install or update the DirectX version manually.
- Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.
10. Press ALT+TAB Key Combo
Some affected PC users have mentioned that by pressing the ALT + TAB key shortcut combo, they can switch between the opened programs on the PC. So, keep pressing the ALT + TAB to switch between programs and then go back to the running game to check whether the problem has been fixed. It’ll change the display mode from full-screen to windowed mode and then full-screen mode, which can fix the black screen issue.
11. Try Disabling Overlay Apps
A couple of popular apps have their overlay program that can eventually run in the background and cause gaming performance or even launching issues. You should turn them off to fix the issue by following the steps below:
Disable Discord Overlay
- Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
- Click on Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
- Click on the Games tab > Select Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
- Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
- Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
Disable the Xbox Game Bar
- Press the Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game Bar option.
If you can’t find the Game Bar option, just search for it from the Windows Settings menu.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay
- Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
- Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
- Finally, restart the PC to apply changes and relaunch the game.
Also, remember to disable other overlay apps, such as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that always run in the background.
12. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
Ensure to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer to fix multiple gaming issues or errors completely. To do that:
- Press the Windows key from the keyboard to open up the Start Menu.
- Type Apps & Features and click on it from the search result.
- Now, locate the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) in the list.
- Select each program and click on Uninstall.
- Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
- Once done, install it on your computer and restart the system to change the effects.
13. Verify Game Files and Repair
Verifying the game files and repairing them automatically using the game client is also recommended.
Verify Game Files on Steam:
- Open up Steam > Go to Library.
- Right-click on the Assassins Creed Odyssey game.
- Click on Properties > Go to the Local Files tab.
- Select Verify Integrity of Game Files…
- This process will start by verifying and checking all the installed game files to see if a missing or corrupted file is located.
- Let the process complete. Once it is done, close the Steam client and restart your computer to apply the changes.
- Finally, re-open Steam and try rerunning the Assassins Creed Odyssey game.
Verify Game Files on Epic:
- Open the Epic Games Launcher and go to the Library.
- Locate Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in your game list.
- Click on the three dots (…) next to the game title.
- Select Manage > Click Verify.
- The launcher will check for corrupted or missing files and automatically repair them.
- Once the process is finished, restart your computer and try launching the game again.
That’s it, guys. We hope this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.