Baldur’s Gate 3 Won’t Launch or Not Loading on PC, How to Fix?

Baldur’s Gate III is an action role-playing video game based on Dungeons & Dragons, developed and published by Larian Studios. It is the third main title in the Baldur’s Gate series and has received an overwhelming response on the Steam platform for the PC version. Despite positive reviews for the PC version, many players are encountering the issue of Baldur’s Gate 3 not launching, which is disappointing. If you’re also facing this problem, follow this troubleshooting guide to fix it.

The game was released in October 2020 as an early access version and has now been released as a stable build. Although the game is new, it is common for PC gamers to experience crashing, not loading, or stuttering issues. However, most of these problems are due to hardware or software issues, so trying out these troubleshooting methods will be helpful.

Baldur's Gate 3 Won't Launch or Not Loading on PC, How to Fix?

Why Doesn’t Baldur’s Gate 3 Launch?

Like other PC games, the Baldur’s Gate 3 title also has some common issues players may encounter while launching or playing. One of the most frustrating issues is when the game fails to launch. There could be several reasons, including outdated graphics drivers, outdated game versions, missing or corrupted game files, unnecessary background tasks, etc.

Minimum Requirements:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel I5 4690 / AMD FX 8350
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 970 / RX 480 (4GB+ of VRAM)
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 150 GB available space

Recommended Requirements:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel i7 8700K / AMD r5 3600
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia 2060 Super / RX 5700 XT (8GB+ of VRAM)
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 150 GB available space

2. Run the game as an Administrator

If you’re not running your video game using an administrator privilege, it may cause issues with the game launching, startup crashing, or even the game not loading. So, running the game exe file as an administrator on your Windows computer is better for checking whether that fixes the problem. To do so:

Right-click on the Baldur’s Gate 3 exe shortcut file on your PC.
Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

3. Verify the Integrity of Game Files

If in case your game files become corrupted or missing for some unexpected reasons, then verifying and repairing the game files using the game launcher can help you a lot. To do this:

Launch Steam > Click on Library.
Right-click on Baldur’s Gate 3 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, restart your computer.

4. Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

Head over to the following path on your PC:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\vcredist

You should see the following folders:
- 2012\vc_redist.x64.exe
- 2013\vc_redist.x64.exe
- 2019\vc_redist.x64.exe
Just make sure to run all of these executable files that are present. (If you’ve different folders, then run the vc_redist.x64.exe file in those folders)
Finally, restart your PC to fix the issue.

5. Update DirectX

Go to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\DirectX folder path.
Next, run the DXSETUP.exe file to reinstall/update DirectX.
Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.

6. Update GPU Drivers

It seems that multiple affected players have reported about the outdated graphics driver. If you’ve also using the outdated graphics driver for a while, then make sure to check for updates by following the steps below:

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.

Device Manager Update Display Adapter

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.

This method should fix the issue of Baldur’s Gate 3 Won’t Launch on PC. If not, you can head over to the next method.

7. Disable Overlay Apps

According to some affected players, disabling the Steam overlay on the Windows computer has helped them easily fix the game not launching issue. As the in-game overlay app is always running in the background whenever you launch the game client, it’s quite possible to have issues with the processes or system resources.

For Steam Overlay:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Now, right-click on Baldur’s Gate 3 > Select Properties.
Head to the General section > Here, uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay checkbox.
Return to Library > Re-open Squad to check for the not launching issue.

8. Install All Pending Windows Updates

It may be possible that, somehow, any Windows bugs or system files conflict with the game running properly. Sometimes, an incompatibility issue can also occur when you haven’t updated the software for a while. So, install all the pending Windows updates and keep it to the latest OS build. 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.

Windows Update Windows 11

If there is a feature update available, select Download and Install.
Wait for some time until the update gets completed.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes immediately.

9. Disable Antivirus and Firewall Program

Click on the Start menu > Type Control Panel and click on it.
Now, type firewall in the search box > Click on Windows Firewall.
From the left pane, click on Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
Select Turn off Windows Firewall for the Private, Domain, and Public Network Settings.
Finally, reboot the PC to apply the changes and try to check the issue.

Now, you’ll have to disable the anti-virus protection (Windows Defender) as well by following the steps below:

Head over to Windows Settings > Privacy and Security.
Now, go to Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection.
Click on Manage settings >Then turn off the Real-time Protection option.
Once done, make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

If, in case, you’re using any third-party antivirus program, then make sure to turn it off manually.

10. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode (Steam)

Try launching the game in Windowed display mode to see if that helps. Sometimes, a computer with an average hardware specification can cause several issues with the fullscreen display mode while running the game.

Open the Steam client and go to the Library.
Right-click on Baldur’s Gate 3 > Select Properties.
In the General section, click on Set Launch Options.
Next, copy & paste the following command-line argument:

 -windowed -noborder

Make sure to save changes and try rerunning the game to check if Baldur’s Gate 3 is launching properly.

11. Perform a Clean Boot

Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open the System Configuration window.
Go to the Services tab > Enable the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.

Click on Disable All.
Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Now, click on the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
Under the Startup tab from the Task Manager interface, click on the tasks enabled for startup boot > Click on Disable.
Select the high-impact startup programs and disable them one by one.
Once all is done, restart your PC to apply changes.
Finally, check whether the Baldur’s Gate 3 Won’t Launch on PC issue has been fixed.

12. Close Background Processes

Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab > Select the task you want to close.

End Task Manager

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.

13. Reset Baldur’s Gate 3

Press the Windows (Start) + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Select Apps and Features > Click Baldur’s Gate 3 from the installed programs list to select it.
Now, click on Advanced options > Select Reset.
Once done, reboot your computer and try to launch the game.

14. Reinstall Baldur’s Gate 3

If none of the methods worked for you, try reinstalling the Baldur’s Gate 3 game to check if that helps you fix the game not launching issue. To do so:

Launch the Steam client on your computer.
Go to Library > Right-click on the Baldur’s Gate 3 game.
Head over to Manage > Select Uninstall.
If prompted, click Uninstall again and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to apply changes immediately.
Open the Steam client and install the game using the existing Steam account.
You’re done. Enjoy! This can resolve the Baldur’s Gate 3 Won’t Launch on PC issue.

That’s it, guys. We hope this guide was helpful to you. If you have any further queries, please comment below.