Imagine you’re deep into a game of Civilization VI. You’ve meticulously planned your cities, researched advanced technologies, and forged alliances with neighboring civilizations. Your empire is on the brink of a golden age, poised for cultural or scientific dominance. Suddenly, the screen freezes, the game stutters, and then…crash. Your Civilization VI game unexpectedly closes, leaving you staring at your desktop in frustration.
Civilization VI is a complex and demanding game, and unfortunately, encountering crashes isn’t an uncommon experience for many players. These crashes can stem from various sources, ranging from hardware limitations to software conflicts and even in-game settings. The good news is that many of these issues can be resolved with some simple troubleshooting steps. This article will guide you through the most common causes of Civilization VI crashes and provide practical solutions to get you back to building your empire without interruption. We’ll explore everything from ensuring your computer meets the game’s requirements to tweaking graphics settings and addressing potential software conflicts. Let’s delve in and fix those frustrating crashes!
Understanding the Problem: What Makes Civilization VI Go Boom?
Before diving into fixes, it’s essential to understand what might be causing your Civilization VI game to crash. Identifying the root cause can significantly streamline the troubleshooting process. Crashes are typically associated with underlying problems with your machine or the game. Here’s a breakdown of the most frequent culprits:
Hardware Hurdles:
Civilization VI can be resource-intensive, particularly in the later stages of the game when the map is densely populated with cities and units. Insufficient hardware is a primary cause of game crashes.
Insufficient System Demands:
The first consideration is whether your computer meets the game’s minimum and recommended system demands. The minimum demands will allow the game to run on the lowest possible setting, but gameplay may lag. The recommended system demand will allow the game to run smoothly on medium to high settings. Critical components include the central processing unit, graphics card, random access memory, and storage space. Check your computer’s demand against the game’s demands. If your hardware falls short of the minimum, upgrading components may be necessary.
Overheating Issues:
Overheating is another major hardware concern. The central processing unit and graphics card generate heat as they work, and if the cooling system is inadequate, these components can overheat. Overheating can lead to crashes and even permanent hardware damage. Monitor your computer’s temperatures while playing Civilization VI using monitoring software. If temperatures consistently exceed safe limits, consider improving your cooling solution, such as cleaning the heatsink, applying new thermal paste, or investing in a better cooler.
Outdated or Erroneous Drivers:
Outdated or corrupt graphics drivers can also trigger crashes. Graphics drivers are essential software that allows your operating system and games to communicate with your graphics card. Ensure you have the latest drivers installed.
Software Snags:
Software-related problems are equally likely to cause Civilization VI crashes. These can range from corrupted game files to conflicts with other applications.
Corrupted Game Data:
Game files can sometimes become corrupted due to various reasons, such as incomplete downloads, disk errors, or power outages. Corrupted files can lead to instability and crashes. You can check that the files are working correctly via the platform it was downloaded from.
Conflicts with Other Software:
Many applications running in the background can interfere with Civilization VI. Overlays such as Discord, Steam, and antivirus software have known to conflict with the game. These programs can consume system resources or inject code into the game, leading to instability.
Outdated Operating System:
Using an outdated operating system can cause compatibility problems with newer games. Ensure your operating system is up to date with the latest patches and security updates.
DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributable Problems:
DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables are essential software components that provide a runtime environment for games and other applications. If these components are missing or corrupted, it can lead to crashes. Reinstalling them might resolve the issue.
In-Game Influence:
In-game settings can also contribute to crashes, particularly if they exceed your hardware’s capabilities.
High Graphics Settings:
Pushing the graphics settings too high can strain your system, leading to crashes, especially with insufficient system demands.
DirectX or Vulkan Application Programming Interface Issues:
Civilization VI supports both DirectX and Vulkan application programming interfaces. Sometimes, one application programming interface may perform better than the other on a specific system. Experimenting with these application programming interfaces can potentially reduce crashing.
Mod Interference:
Mods can add new features, civilizations, and gameplay mechanics to Civilization VI. However, incompatible or conflicting mods can cause crashes.
Troubleshooting and Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you understand the potential causes, let’s dive into the fixes. Here’s a systematic approach to troubleshooting and resolving Civilization VI crashes:
Basic Actions:
Start with these simple yet often effective solutions:
Restart Your Machine:
This might seem obvious, but restarting your machine can resolve many temporary glitches. Close all programs and restart your computer before trying anything else.
Verify Game Files:
If there are any corrupted or missing files, your game may crash. Verifying the game files ensures that all game files are present and intact. This process can fix many issues related to corrupted files.
Close Background Applications:
Close any unnecessary applications that are running in the background. Freeing up system resources can help improve the game’s stability.
Driver Revamp:
Updating your drivers is a crucial step:
Update Graphics Drivers:
Download and install the latest graphics drivers from the website of your graphics card manufacturer. Ensure you download the correct drivers for your specific graphics card model and operating system.
Update Other Drivers:
Ensure that you update all other drivers, including chipset and sound drivers. Older drivers are often the culprit for game crashing, therefore, it is important to make sure you have the latest drivers.
Graphics Adjustment:
Tweaking graphics settings can significantly improve stability:
Reduce Graphics Presets:
Lowering the graphics presets can reduce the strain on your system. Try setting the graphics to “Medium” or “Low.”
Disable Anti-Aliasing and other options:
Adjust the graphic settings, such as disabling anti-aliasing, and this may prevent your game from crashing.
Experiment with DirectX and Vulkan:
Try switching between DirectX and Vulkan to see if it resolves the crashes. Different systems may perform better with one application programming interface over the other.
Software Tactics:
Software conflicts can be addressed with these steps:
Disable Overlays:
Disable any overlays, such as Discord Overlay, Steam Overlay, and similar software, that might interfere with the game.
Add Civilization VI to Antivirus Exceptions:
Some antivirus software might mistakenly flag Civilization VI as a threat. Add the game’s executable file to your antivirus exceptions list to prevent it from being scanned and potentially blocked.
Reinstall DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables:
Download the latest versions of DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables from Microsoft’s website and reinstall them. These components provide the necessary runtime environment for many games.
Advanced Maneuvers:
For more persistent issues, try these advanced troubleshooting steps:
Perform a Clean Boot:
A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This can help identify if a background program is causing the crashes.
Check System Event Logs:
The Windows Event Viewer records system events, including error messages related to crashes. Check the event logs for any relevant error messages.
Reinstall Civilization VI:
If all else fails, try uninstalling and reinstalling the game. This can resolve issues related to corrupted game files or installation problems.
Dealing with Mods:
If you are using mods, consider these steps:
Disable Mods:
Disable all mods to see if the crashes stop.
Enable Mods One by One:
If disabling all mods fixes the problem, enable them one by one to identify the conflicting mod.
Check for Mod Updates:
Make sure your mods are up to date and compatible with the current version of the game.
Conclusion: Back to Building Your Empire
Civilization VI crashes can be incredibly frustrating, disrupting your carefully laid plans for world domination. However, by understanding the common causes and systematically applying the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of these crashes and enjoy a more stable gaming experience. Remember, start with the basic fixes and work your way through the more advanced solutions if necessary. Most importantly, be patient and methodical in your approach. By taking the time to diagnose and address the underlying causes of the crashes, you can get back to building your empire and leading your civilization to victory.
If you’ve tried all of the above solutions and are still experiencing issues, don’t hesitate to leave a comment describing your specific problem. Sharing your system specifications and the steps you’ve already taken can help others offer more targeted advice and potentially uncover a solution that works for you. Now go forth and conquer, crash-free!
