Game crashing or not launching: breakdown by game
We analysed 34 popular games from official data: in 3 of them the anti-cheat requires TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot, 8 use a kernel-level anti-cheat, 10 require an SSD. Pick a game to see its specific causes.
Key figures
Unique FPSHQ metrics from this page's data
Why do games crash and fail to launch in 2026?
According to official data for 34 popular games checked by FPSHQ on Oct 4, 2026: 32 require Windows 10/11, 8 use an anti-cheat with a kernel driver, 3 will not start without TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot, 10 require an SSD. The median minimum RAM is 12 GB. So besides drivers and overheating, check your Windows version, BIOS security settings and the specific game’s anti-cheat.
- Games analysed
- 34
- Need TPM 2.0 / Secure Boot
- 3
- Kernel-level anti-cheat
- 8
Which anti-cheats popular games use
Number of games in this section by anti-cheat (Steam Store and publisher data). “None” — no anti-cheat stated.
Minimum RAM: how many games need 8, 12 and 16 GB
Official minimum RAM across this section. Below minimum is a common cause of “out of memory” crashes.
Games: anti-cheat, launcher and minimum requirements
| Game | Anti-cheat | Launcher | OS | RAM | Causes | FPSHQ PCs pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | — | Steam, GOG Galaxy | Win 10+ | 12 GB | 9 | 65% |
| Counter-Strike 2 | Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) | Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 5 | 91% |
| Dota 2 | Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) | Steam | Win 7+ | 4 GB | 5 | 100% |
| Minecraft | — | Minecraft Launcher | — | 8 GB | 5 | 91% |
| Grand Theft Auto V | BattlEye ⚙ | Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 9 | 76% |
| League of Legends | Riot Vanguard ⚙ · TPM | Riot Client | Win 10+ | 2 GB | 9 | 100% |
| Elden Ring | Easy Anti-Cheat ⚙ | Steam | Win 10+ | 12 GB | 7 | 68% |
| Call of Duty: Warzone | RICOCHET Anti-Cheat ⚙ · TPM+SB | Battle.net, Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 9 | 81% |
| God of War | — | Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 5 | 79% |
| The Sims 4 | — | EA app, Steam | Win 10+ | 4 GB | 6 | 100% |
| Forza Horizon 5 | — | Steam, Xbox app / Microsoft Store | Win 10 1903+ | 8 GB | 7 | 78% |
| STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl | — | Steam, GOG Galaxy | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 9 | 62% |
| Overwatch 2 | Defense Matrix | Battle.net, Steam | Win 10+ | 6 GB | 6 | 98% |
| EA Sports FC 25 | EA Javelin Anticheat ⚙ | EA app, Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 7 | 77% |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | — | Steam | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 5 | 62% |
| Wuthering Waves | Anti-Cheat Expert (ACE) ⚙ | Kuro Games Launcher, Steam | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 9 | 66% |
| Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 | — | Steam | Win 10 1903+ | 8 GB | 6 | 66% |
| Delta Force | Anti-Cheat Expert (ACE) ⚙ · TPM+SB | Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 11 | 77% |
| Star Wars Outlaws | — | Ubisoft Connect, Steam | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 7 | 57% |
| Escape from Tarkov | BattlEye ⚙ | BSG Launcher, Steam | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 8 | 57% |
| Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | — | Steam, Xbox app / Microsoft Store | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 8 | 41% |
| Avowed | — | Steam, Xbox app / Microsoft Store | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 7 | 51% |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | — | Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 7 | 86% |
| Hogwarts Legacy | — | Steam, Epic Games Launcher | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 9 | 72% |
| Marvel's Spider-Man 2 | — | Steam, Epic Games Launcher | Win 10 1909+ | 16 GB | 6 | 67% |
| Alan Wake 2 | — | Epic Games Launcher | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 8 | 54% |
| Marvel Rivals | NetEase Game Security | Steam, Epic Games Launcher | Win 10 1909+ | 16 GB | 10 | 65% |
| Diablo IV | — | Battle.net, Steam | Win 10 1909+ | 8 GB | 7 | 77% |
| The Last of Us Part I | — | Steam, Epic Games Launcher | Win 10 1909+ | 16 GB | 7 | 71% |
| Starfield | — | Steam, Xbox app / Microsoft Store | Win 10 21H1+ | 16 GB | 7 | 51% |
| Silent Hill 2 Remake | — | Steam | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 8 | 51% |
| Dragon's Dogma 2 | — | Steam | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 6 | 51% |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | — | Steam, Xbox app / Microsoft Store | Win 10+ | 16 GB | 8 | 66% |
| Cities: Skylines II | — | Steam | Win 10+ | 8 GB | 6 | 73% |
⚙ — kernel-level driver. Share of PCs from anonymous FPSHQ scans (20+ builds) meeting each minimum requirement. GPU and CPU are compared by FPSHQ scores against the minimum models in the official requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Why do games crash?
Which games require TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot?
Will new games run on Windows 7?
Where does the cause data come from?
Methodology and sources
Causes are built from official minimum requirements (Steam Store, publisher sites and support), the game’s anti-cheat, launcher and engine data. Known issues come only from patch notes and support articles (or outlets quoting an official statement — marked). PC shares come from anonymous FPSHQ scans (k-anonymity); GPU and CPU are compared by FPSHQ scores. PCGamingWiki is not used. More about the methodology →
- Steam Store (Oct 4, 2026)
- FPSHQ