If your Total War game (on EPIC) is not launching and/or crashing, please try the troubleshooting steps as referenced below.
Quick Checklist:
- Check the Epic Games server status
- Check for updates
- Verify your game files
- Clear your launcher’s webcache
- Add EPIC/game to your Antivirus & Firewall Exceptions
- Update your Windows Operating System
- Update your graphics drivers
- Check the power setting of your graphics card
- Install the necessary Visual C++ components
- Run the EPIC launcher as an administrator
- Try a different Windows account
Troubleshooting Steps & Instructions
- Check the Epic Games server status
Check the Epic Games Server Status page to make sure all systems are operational. If the Epic Games Launcher is affected by an outage or system-wide issue, your issue may be fixed when the outage is resolved.
- Check for updates
Check to see if there is an update for the Launcher. To do this, select the Settings (the cogwheel in the bottom left) if you see a button stating: RESTART AND UPDATE, select it to update the Launcher.
- Verify your game files
To verify the installation of game files, navigate to your Total War game in your Library and click on the three dots.
Once open, click Verify in the drop-down navigation.
Depending on the size of your Total War game it may take a few minutes to verify all your files. Once it completes click Launch to start your Total War game.
- Clear your launcher’s webcache
Clearing the webcache often resolves display issues that may prevent you from using the launcher. Follow these steps to clear your webcache:
Windows
- Exit the Epic Games Launcher by right-clicking the system tray icon in the bottom-right corner, and then clicking Exit.
- Press Windows key + R, type “%localappdata%”, and then press Enter to open a File Explorer window.
- Open the Epic Games Launcher folder.
- Open the Saved folder.
- Click the webcache folder, and then delete it.
- If there is a folder called webcache_4147 that can be deleted as well
- Restart your computer, and then relaunch the Epic Games Launcher.
- Add EPIC/game to your Antivirus & Firewall Exceptions
Your anti-virus/firewall programs could be stopping EPIC/the game from functioning correctly.
A quick and simple test to help rule out your Anti-virus & Firewall software as a possible cause is to temporarily disable them to check whether that resolves your issue.
Further to this, you should ensure that both EPIC (including your Total War game) has been added to the exclusion list of your Anti-virus & Firewall programs to help minimise the potential for any issues.
- Update your Windows Operating System
Your operating system could be missing important modules/files as required for both EPIC and your Total War game to function correctly. Please see instructions below on how to check for updates:
Windows® 10 & 11
Start Menu > Settings > Update & Security settings > Windows Update > Check for updates
Windows® 8.x
Point your mouse cursor to the lower right corner of your screen > Settings > Change PC settings > Update and Recovery > Check Now
Windows® 7
Start Menu > Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Update (Check for updates).
- Update your graphics drivers
Some of the most common game crashing and bugs are a result of old or incompatible drivers. The lack of an up-to-date system can lead to lag, system errors or even a system crash (BSOD).
To check whether you are using the latest graphics drivers (including sound), please refer to our driver support article.
- Check the power setting of your graphics card
Your Total War game may not be functioning correctly due to the power settings of your computer system i.e. set to eco/power saving mode, as such your Total War game may not be using your dedicated graphics card!
Please see out support article on configuring the power setting of your graphics card for Windows 10.
For a instructions on how to configure your computer system to use your dedicated graphics card, click here for Nvidia Graphics cards and click here for AMD graphics cards.
- Install the necessary Visual C++ components
You could be missing Visual C++ components as required in order to run your Total War game. These important components can be found and installed from the DirectXRedist folder as located within the Epic Games folder.
Program path/directory:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\DirectXRedist
- Run the EPIC launcher as an administrator
In some cases, an operating system may not give your Total War game the necessary permissions to work as it should. This might result in the game not starting or running properly. Try enabling the option to run the game as administrator to see if this resolves your issue.
- Right-click your Epic Games Launcher shortcut.
- Click Run as Administrator.
- Try a different Windows account
It's possible that a third-party software/applications could be stopping the game from functioning correctly. A quick & effective way to check on whether this is the case is by creating/installing on a different Windows account with administrator rights:
Windows®11
1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts and then select Family & other users. (In some versions of Windows you'll see Other users.)
2. Next to Add other user, select Add account.
3. Select I don't have this person's sign-in information, and on the next page, select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
4. Enter a user name, password, or password hint—or choose security questions—and then select Next.
Windows® 10
1. Click on Start Menu,
2. Click on Settings,
3. Click on Accounts,
4. Select Family & other users,
5. Select Add someone else to this PC,
6. Ignore the prompt to provide an email or phone number. Instead click on the link at the bottom that reads The person I want to add doesn’t have an email address,
7. Ignore the information that informs you to setup a new email address through @outlook.com and click on the link at the bottom Add a user without a Microsoft account.
Windows 8. x
1. Navigate to the Control Panel.
2. Double-click User Accounts, and then click Manage User Accounts.
3. Click Create new account. Enter a name for the account, and then click Next.
4. Click Computer administrator, and then click Create Account.
If this works, you will have narrowed it down to a software conflict in your other account and can proceed to eliminate variables.
IF for any reason that troubleshoot steps as above do not resolve your issue, please step a support request for further assistance (please be sure to include your DXDIAG).