RuneScape Dragonwilds crash on startup error: Possible reasons and how to fix, explored

Many players have complained that the RuneScape Dragonwilds crash-on-startup error has become a major issue. Most reported that they are unable to get past the loading screen on startup, along with many other issues like save file corruption, which has led to loss of in-game progress.

This article will thus list the potential causes for RuneScape Dragonwilds crashing on startup, along with suggestions on some possible fixes.

Note: The fixes listed in this article have worked for various users, but they may not work for everyone.

Possible causes for RuneScape Dragonwilds crashing on startup/stuck on loading screen

RuneScape Dragonwilds issues can be fixed easily (Image via Jagex Ltd)

The primary reason for these crashes and issues is difficult to pinpoint, so we can only speculate what the causes could be. As such, here are three reasons that might cause this game to crash:

Corrupted game files: Having your game files corrupted during installation or when playing isn’t as rare as people think. This issue is quite common in Steam games, especially online games that get frequent updates. Steam added the “Verify integrity of game files” option ever since this fault became quite common.
Outdated game drivers: Since RuneScape Dragonwilds is a new game, Nvidia and AMD are set to update their player-ready graphics drivers to help players have a smoother experience. Therefore, you might have an outdated GPU driver that lacks optimized support for this title.
Conflicts with background apps: Your games can often conflict with other apps running in the background, like Epic Games Services and other potential apps. Therefore, closing these apps will alleviate any issues you might encounter while playing Runescape Dragonwilds.

Also read: Best RuneScape Dragonwilds PC settings

Potential fixes for RuneScape Dragonwilds crash on startup

1) Verify and repair game files

If you are facing problems while running this game, try verifying and repairing your game files through Steam. Follow these steps to do so:

Open Steam.
Go to your Library.
Right-click on RuneScape Dragonwilds.
Click on Properties.
Go to the Installed Files tab and select Verify integrity of game files.

Also read: Best RuneScape Dragonwilds ROG Ally settings

2) Turn off Frame Generation from the config file

This game's Frame Generation settings might be enabled by default if you have an Nvidia RTX graphics card. This may cause problems for many since this feature isn’t optimized yet. To fix it, follow these steps:

Open File Explorer.
Go to your C: drive.
Navigate to the Users folder and open the folder with your name/PC name.
Open the AppData folder (if you don’t see this, click on the View option > Show > Hidden items).
Go to Local.
Open the RSDragonwilds folder, followed by the Saved folder.
Go to the Config folder, followed by the Windows folder.
Open the GameUserSettings file using Notepad.
Scroll down to find the bFrameGeneration=True line and change it to False.

3) Try a different launch option - Vulkan, DX11, DX12

Since different games run on different graphics APIs, changing it might solve RuneScape Dragonwild's crashes and stuck-on-loading-screen issues. Follow these steps:

Open Steam.
Go to your Library.
Right-click on RuneScape Dragonwilds.
Click on Properties.
On the General tab, you will find Launch Options. Type -dx11, -dx12, or -vulkan and launch the game.

4) End Epic Games Services task

If you have the Epic Game Store app installed, you probably also have the Epic Games Services app installed. This app, which always runs in the background, is known to cause conflicts with various Steam games. Therefore, follow these steps to close it temporarily:

Open Task Manager.
Find the Epic Games Launcher on the list of background processes. Right-click on it and select End Task.

Also read: Best RuneScape Dragonwilds Steam Deck settings

5) Update graphics drivers

If all of the options above don’t work, the problem might be due to an outdated graphics driver. This might be the case since this game was launched recently. Depending on your graphics card - Nvidia, AMD, or Intel - you can download and install the latest drivers from their official website or their respective apps.

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About the author

Debamalya is a Gaming Writer for Sportskeeda, specializing in writing news, guides, and other features about various games. He has over four years of experience and has been following the video game and esports industry since he started playing games on his mom's Nokia 3110.

He initially began his career as an academic writer before shifting to web content writing. He has worked for various tech and gaming websites, writing gaming and tech features and news.

You will always find him raging after playing competitive esports titles like Valorant, CS2, and Deadlock. His best therapy for chilling out after a sweaty competitive match is by playing mobile gacha games like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves, and other casually competitive games like Clash Royale and Brawl Stars.

In his free time, Debamalya also enjoys playing the drums and listening to heavy metal music.

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Edited by Abu Amjad Khan