Valve has released Dota 2 back in 2013 as one of the free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) strategic video games that have overwhelmed PC players a lot. With each update, developers are trying to include improvements, new features, and heroes in this title consistently that’s impeccable. However, it seems that some unfortunate players are experiencing the Dota 2 Textures Not Loading or Missing issue on the PC quite often which is irritating.
As per multiple online reports, the chances are high that somehow the recent patch update of the game has broken the in-game textures unexpectedly. Some reports are claiming that Dota 2 players are experiencing blurred graphics, slow texture loading, texture not loading completely, minor graphical glitches, pathetic in-game graphics quality even in 1080P or higher resolution, etc. In all scenarios, you can try some troubleshooting methods to fix it.
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Fix: Dota 2 Textures Not Loading or Missing
This specific issue mostly happens on both Win10 and Win11 PCs no matter which version or build you’re using & what PC configuration you have. So, irrespective of the PC build and hardware capability, in-game texture missing or the texture loading too slow issue is bothering a lot of players. It’s highly recommended to follow some of the possible workarounds mentioned below that can help you out. So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.
1. Try Changing HDMI Cable
First of all, you should try changing the HDMI cable on the PC or console to the monitor/TV to check whether the connectivity glitch is causing the texture not loading issue or not. Sometimes changing an HDMI cable can easily fix display-related issues or in-game lags or even texture loading issues.
2. Disable CPU/GPU Overclocking
Make sure to disable the CPU or GPU overclocking on your PC to ensure there is no issue with the bottleneck because incompatibility conflict can easily trigger crashes, lags, slow loading of textures, and more. You should always try to use the default factory clock speed of both the processor and graphics card on the PC to get an optimal performance whatsoever.
3. Pause Background Downloads
It’s highly recommended to stop or pause the background download task on your gaming device whether you’re using a PC or an Xbox console. If your internet connection is giving you a limited data speed per second and one or more background downloads are running at the same time while gaming then the slow loading issue or slow texture loading issue may appear a lot. Don’t run downloads or installation processes in the background while playing games.
4. Check the Internet Connection
As this is a multiplayer online video game, the chances are high that somehow your internet connection is troubling you while the in-game resources are loading at their peak timing. That means when the in-game graphics or textures are higher to load, your poor or unstable internet connection is failing to perform. Make sure to contact your internet service provider for the same and increase the data speed or just upgrade the package.
If in case, you’re using the wireless (Wi-Fi) network then try using the wired (ethernet) network or vice versa to check whether the texture not loading issue is still bothering you or not. If you’re using the Wi-Fi network primarily then make sure to perform a power cycle on the Wi-Fi router to check if the problem has been fixed or not. Just power off the router > Unplug the power cable > Wait for a minute and then reconnect the power cable > Turn on the router.
5. Update Graphics Driver
You should try checking for the graphics driver update on your Windows PC and installing the latest version to ensure no update is pending at your end. An outdated or missing graphics driver can trigger issues with properly functioning graphics-intensive programs. To do that:
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list to open the interface.
- Now, you’ll need to double-click on Display adapters to expand it.
- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name you’re using to bring the context menu.
- Next, click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- The system will automatically check for the available update.
- If an update is available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
- Once done, make sure to restart your PC to apply the changes.
If you cannot find any update, then make sure to head over to the official graphics card website and search manually for the latest update. If a new version is available, just download the file on your PC and install it. Whatever graphics card you use, jump to the link below as per the manufacturer.
6. Disable NVIDIA ShadowPlay
You should try turning off the Nvidia ShadowPlay feature on the Nvidia GeForce Experience app to ensure there is no issue with the game texture loading. Nvidia ShadowPlay allows you to record and share high-quality video games, take screenshots, and perform live streams with your friends just like an overlay app. So, disabling it on the Windows PC may come in handy.
- Open the Nvidia GeForce Experience app.
- Click on Settings > Click on the General tab.
- Now, locate the Share option and disable it.
- Make sure to save changes and reboot the PC.
7. Delete Steam ProgramData
It’s also possible that the corrupted or outdated game cache data files on the computer or console may be troubling the in-game textures to load properly. So, you can delete the game cache data by following the steps below to fix the issue.
- Press the Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Now, type %ProgramData% and hit Enter to open the ProgramData folder on the installed Windows drive.
- Then Delete the Steam folder from the list > Once done, make sure to reboot the system.
8. Turn Off Nvidia DLSS Mode
Such graphical issues may be caused due to NVIDIA’s DLSS feature. Make sure to turn it off in the Display section of the in-game settings menu to reduce graphical glitches or visibility issues, etc. However, if somehow the DLSS Mode isn’t visible in the menu, then you can modify the game’s .ini file.
9. Use DX11 or DX12
According to the game developers, it’s well optimized for DirectX 9. But if you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11 then most probably the DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 version should be running on the system by default. In that case, you can follow the steps below to forcefully run your Dota 2 game in DirectX 11 or DX12.
- Open the Steam client > Go to LIBRARY.
- Locate and right-click on the Dota 2 game.
- Click on Properties > Select GENERAL from the left pane menu.
- Type -dx11 or -dx12 under the Launch Options.
- Now, go back, and launch the game. If prompted, click on the radio button next to the Play option of Dota 2.
10. Adjust Texture Settings
You can also adjust the in-game texture settings from the game menu by following the steps below:
- Open the Steam launcher > Go to Library > Click on Dota 2 from the left pane.
- Click on Play to launch the game > Once you’re inside the game, click on Settings.
- Head over to the Graphics (Visual) Settings > Adjust Textures Settings to Low or Medium.
11. Increase Virtual Memory
You should try increasing the virtual memory on your PC to check for the issue and whether it has been fixed or not. Sometimes the lack of free memory in the system may cause such issues. To do so:
- Click on the Start menu > Click on Control Panel.
- Click on Performance and Maintenance > Go to System.
- From the Advanced tab, click on Settings under Performance.
- On the Advanced tab, click on Change under Virtual memory.
- Under Drive [Volume Label], click on the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.
- Under Paging file size for the selected drive, click on System Managed Size > Click on Set.
- If this option hasn’t been flagged previously, restart the PC after flagging it.
- If the system paging file size is used to be System Managed then under Paging file size for selected drive, click on Custom size.
- Now, type a new paging file size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box.
- Finally, click on Set > Restart the PC to apply changes.
12. Verify and Repair Game Files
If none of the methods worked for you then you should verify and repair the files of the installed game via the Steam client to fix several issues. Sometimes corrupted or missing game files on the PC may trigger in-game crashes, lags, stutters, slow texture loading issues, and more. To do that:
- Launch Steam > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Dota 2 from the list of installed games.
- Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
- Once done, just restart your computer.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.