Unreal Engine game crash (Crash Reporter)

Q: Where are Unreal Engine crash logs?

Usually in %LOCALAPPDATA%\\Saved\Logs and …\Saved\Crashes. At the end of the log look for “Fatal error”, “LowLevelFatalError” or “GPU crashed” — they show the module and type of failure.

🖥 DirectX, drivers and GPU LowLevelFatalError / UE Crash Reporter ⏱ 8 steps · ≈117 min

May be hardwareIf simple steps fail — check PSU, RAM and temperatures

The “The UE-… Game has crashed and will close” window is Unreal Engine’s crash reporter; the cause is in the first lines of the report. Common variants: LowLevelFatalError mentioning D3D12 or GPU — driver, overclock, unstable CPU; “Out of video memory” — VRAM or instability; asset (Pak) loading errors — corrupted files. Start with verifying files and the driver, then remove overclocks and update the BIOS.

✔ Facts and links checked: 2026-10-02

What this error means

Unreal Engine logs are in %LOCALAPPDATA%\<ProjectName>\Saved\Logs and crash reports in Saved\Crashes (the project name often differs from the game title). Look for Fatal error, Assertion failed or LowLevelFatalError — the engine source file next to it hints at the area: D3D12RHI — graphics, Pak/IoStore — files, Memory — memory. Unreal Engine games are also known for stutters during first-time shader compilation — a separate topic.

Where exactly the chain breaks

Game (UE4/UE5)RHI: D3D12 / VulkanDriverCPU / GPU / RAM✕ fails here

Causes — most common first

A D3D12/driver failure (often with new drivers or RT)

most common

An unstable CPU: overclock, undervolt, old BIOS on Intel Core 13th/14th gen

common

Corrupted game pak files

common

Mods and injectors

less common

Step-by-step fix: from simple to advanced

Test the game after each step — only move on if the error is still there.

Verify the game files easy ≈10 min

The launcher compares files with the reference copy and re-downloads damaged or missing ones — including libraries the game keeps in its own folder. Steam: Library → right-click the game → Properties → Installed Files → “Verify integrity of game files”. Epic Games: Library → “…” → Manage → “Verify”. EA app / Ubisoft Connect / Battle.net: “Repair” or “Verify files” in the game menu. Xbox app: Manage → Files → “Verify and repair”.

⬇ Steam Support: verify files
Do a clean driver reinstall medium ≈20 min

Profiles and caches left from the old driver keep failing. NVIDIA: pick custom install and tick “Perform a clean installation”. AMD: the Adrenalin installer has a “Factory Reset” option, or remove the driver with the official AMD Cleanup Utility. If the error appeared right after an update, roll back to the previous stable version from the same site instead.

⬇ AMD Cleanup Utility ⬇ NVIDIA driver archive
Disable overlays and on-top tools easy ≈5 min

Overlays inject into the game process and hook frame presentation — a frequent cause of launch crashes and black screens. For the test, turn off: Discord overlay, Steam overlay (game Properties → “Enable the Steam Overlay”), NVIDIA App / GeForce Experience, AMD Adrenalin, Xbox Game Bar, MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner, screen recorders and “FPS boosters”.
Reduce the load: textures, ray tracing, upscaling easy ≈5 min

Texture quality, ray tracing and resolution have the biggest impact on memory and stability. Drop textures one notch, turn off RT and enable DLSS / FSR / XeSS in “Quality” mode. If the error disappears on low settings, the issue is lack of resources, not a “broken” game.
Try DX11 if the game supports it easy ≈2 min

Many UE4 and some UE5 games have a DirectX 11 mode (in the menu or via the -dx11 launch option if the developer kept it). This separates D3D12 problems from the rest.
Return to stock clocks (overclock, XMP/EXPO, undervolt) medium ≈15 min

An overclock that passes stress tests can still fail in a specific game or shader load. Reset the profile in MSI Afterburner / Adrenalin, remove the undervolt and, to test memory, temporarily disable XMP/EXPO in BIOS. If the error disappears at stock, lower clocks or improve stability.
Update the motherboard BIOS advanced ≈30 min

BIOS updates fix memory and CPU stability (including known voltage issues on some generations) and compatibility with new GPUs. Download firmware only from the motherboard maker’s site for your exact revision and never power off during flashing. This is the last step — do it only if everything else failed.

Mandatory for Intel Core i5/i7/i9 13th and 14th gen owners: a BIOS update with Intel’s latest microcode.
Test your RAM medium ≈30 min

Win+R → mdsched.exe → “Restart now and check for problems”. The result appears after you sign in (or in Event Viewer, source MemoryDiagnostics-Results). Memory errors cause the most “random” crashes across different games. If errors are found, test sticks one by one and without XMP/EXPO.

Diagnostics for your PC

Enter your GPU, RAM and game — we will compare them with the requirements and point out what matters for your PC. If you are signed in and saved a PC, it is filled in automatically.

⚡ FPSHQ for Windows

This is a hint based on specs, not a measurement. Browsers cannot see your driver version or power supply model: the FPSHQ app for Windows shows your driver version and real FPS.

Key figures

Unique FPSHQ metrics from this page's data

steps in the guide

117min

minutes for all steps

3/5

error severity

primary sources (Microsoft, NVIDIA, AMD, Steam)

Oct 2, 2026

guide verified

How long each step takes

Time estimate from the guide: 8 steps, about 117 minutes. Steps go from simple to complex — the error usually disappears on the first ones.

In short

Unreal Engine game crash (Crash Reporter)

The “The UE-… Game has crashed and will close” window is Unreal Engine’s crash reporter; the cause is in the first lines of the report. Common variants: LowLevelFatalError mentioning D3D12 or GPU — driver, overclock, unstable CPU; “Out of video memory” — VRAM or instability; asset (Pak) loading errors — corrupted files. Start with verifying files and the driver, then remove overclocks and update the BIOS.

steps in the guide: 8
minutes for all steps: 117 min
guide verified: Oct 2, 2026

updated Oct 2, 2026 · source: Epic Games: PSO caching in Unreal Engine, Microsoft: DXGI_ERROR, FPSHQ model estimate

FAQ

Should I send the Crash Reporter report?

Yes, if the developer collects reports: it shows them which hardware and drivers crash and speeds up a fix.

Where are Unreal Engine crash logs?

Usually in %LOCALAPPDATA%\<GameName>\Saved\Logs and …\Saved\Crashes. At the end of the log look for “Fatal error”, “LowLevelFatalError” or “GPU crashed” — they show the module and type of failure.

What does “D3D device lost” or “GPU crashed” mean in Unreal Engine?

The GPU was reset during rendering — the same nature as DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED: driver, overclock, overheating or power. A temporary workaround is to cap FPS and disable ray tracing; the fix is a stable driver and stock clocks.

Does clearing the shader cache help?

Yes, if crashes started after a game or driver update: a corrupted cache causes failures during loading. Delete the game’s shader cache folder (usually under Saved) and the driver cache (NVIDIA: reset “Shader Cache Size”; AMD: “Reset Shader Cache” in Adrenalin).

🧭 Nothing helped?

Write down the exact error text and the faulting module from Event Viewer (Windows Logs → Application) and contact the game developer’s support — attach the crash report if the game created one. Also check our related errors.