[SOLVED] Assassin’s Creed Shadows Crashing, Not Launching, or Other Performance Issues

Nothing is more frustrating than eagerly launching Assassin’s Creed Shadows, only to encounter crashes, launch failures, or performance issues. Whether the game won’t start, crashes during gameplay, or runs poorly, these problems can often be resolved with a few simple troubleshooting steps. This guide walks you through the most effective fixes, so you can get back to enjoying the game without interruptions.

Try these fixes

You may not need to try every fix—simply work your way through the list until you find the solution that works for you.

1. Make sure your PC meets the system requirements
2. Download and install all Windows updates
3. Update your graphics drivers
4. Verify the integrity of game files
5. Disable background applications
6. Turn off Hardware Accelerated GPU scheduling

1. Make sure your PC meets the system requirements

This seems quite obvious, but in case you haven’t even noticed that, we suggest you take extra steps to ensure that your PC is perfectly capable of running the game. The minimum system requirements ensure that your rig can handle it, while the recommended system requirements guarantee that you could enjoy optimal performance and are less likely to encounter performance issues such as stuttering and lagging during your Assassin’s Creed Shadows gameplay.

To check your system specs and compare them with the system requirements, take these steps:

1. on your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run box, then type msinfo32 and hit Enter. This will open the System Information window.
   
2. Select System Summary from the left pane. Here you’ll find details about your operating system, processor, installed RAM, and other essential components.
   
3. In the left pane, expand Components and then select Display. This section will provide information about your graphics card.
   
4. In the left pane, expand Components, then click on Storage > Drives. You’ll see a list of your drives, for each drive, you’ll find information such as Free Space: The amount of available free space on the drive.
   

2. Download and install all Windows updates

Sometimes outdated Windows versions might be incompatible with new titles such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows. And the latest Windows updates usually come with bug fixes and bring new features. To see if updates are available and install them, follow these steps:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key to invoke the Search. Type check for updates, then click Check for updates from the list of results.
   
2. If you’re told that “Updates available to install”, simply click on the Install all button. Or you can click on the button Check for updates to see if there are updates available and then follow the on-screen instructions to download and install them.
   

If you’re up to date but the game still crashes or you’re constantly encountering performance issues, try other fixes below.

3. Update your graphics drivers

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can lead to crashing and other performance issues. It’s recommended to update your graphics driver on a regular basis. Besides, when a new title comes out, graphics card manufacturers usually release game-ready drivers specifically optimized for new titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows. These updates can significantly improve performance and compatibility issues.

There are mainly two options to update graphics drivers:

Option 1 – Manually update your graphics drivers

First, you need to know what graphics card model you’re using. If you have no idea, refer to this section.

Depending on the graphics card brand, go to the corresponding website to find, download, and install the latest graphics driver for your system:

• NVIDIA
• AMD
• Intel

Option 2 – Automatically update your graphics driver

If you’re not comfortable manually updating drivers or prefer a simpler solution, tools like Driver Easy can automate the process. It’s a handy tool that automatically detects all missing, outdated or problem drivers, then downloads and installs the latest versions for your system, direct from the device manufacturer.

To update drivers with Driver Easy:

1. Download and install Driver Easy, then run it and click Scan Now. Driver Easy will scan your computer and list any hardware with missing, outdated or mismatched drivers.
   
2. Click Update All to download and install new drivers automatically, or click Activate & Update next to your graphics card.
   
   
   By clicking on these buttons, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro version. If you’re not ready for it, sign up for the free trial to update drivers with no upfront cost.

4. Verify the integrity of game files

Corrupted or missing game files are a common culprit behind crashes, launch failures, and performance issues in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. When game files become damaged—whether due to incomplete downloads, updates, or unexpected interruptions—the game may struggle to run properly. Fortunately, verifying the integrity of game files is a straightforward process that can help identify and repair these issues.

Most game platforms, like Steam and Ubisoft Connect, have built-in tools to scan and restore game files. Here’s how to do it:

On Steam

1. Restart your computer and launch Steam.
2. Under LIBRARY, right-click your game title and select Properties… from the drop-down menu.
   
3. Select the Installed Files tab and click the Verify integrity of game files button.
   
4. Steam will verify the game’s files, and this process may take several minutes.

On Ubisoft Connect

1. Open Ubisoft Connect and go to the Library tab.
2. Find Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Next to the Play button, select the button with the three dots and choose Manage > Verify files.
   
3. Ubisoft Connect will start the process of downloading and restoring any missing or corrupted files.

If your issues persist after verifying files, move on to the next fix.

5. Disable background applications

Running multiple programs in the background while gaming can lead to crashes. This is because games are resource-intensive, and having numerous background processes can drain critical CPU, GPU, and RAM resources needed for smooth gameplay. Furthermore, certain software, such as RGB control applications or Razer Synpase, are known in some cases to interfere with specific game titles, causing instability or crashes. To avoid these issues, we recommend closing any unnecessary applications before launching Assassin’s Creed Shadows:

1. On your keyboard, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
2. Go to the Processes tab. Look for any non-essential or resource-intensive programs. Right-click on each of them and select End task.
   

Then launch your game and test the gameplay. If this doesn’t work either, don’t be upset! Try the next fix below!

6. Turn off Hardware Accelerated GPU scheduling

If Assassin’s Creed Shadows is crashing, failing to launch, or experiencing performance issues, Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) might be the culprit. Introduced in Windows 10 (version 2004) and available in Windows 11, this feature allows your GPU to manage its video memory more efficiently. While it can improve performance in some cases, it may also cause instability or compatibility issues with certain games.

You can disable HAGS and check if it solves your issues:

on Windows 11

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System > Display.
   
3. From the Related settings list, click on Graphics.
   
4. Click Change default graphics settings.
   
5. Toggle off Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.
   
6. Restart your computer.

on Windows 10

1. In the empty area of your desktop, right-click and select Display settings.
   
2. Under the Multiple displays section, click Graphics settings.
   
3. Under the Default settings section, click Change default graphics settings.
   
4. Turn off Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.
   
5. Reboot your PC.

Note: If you don’t see the HAGS option, it could be because:

• Your GPU doesn’t support HAGS (common with older or integrated GPUs).
• Your GPU drivers are outdated. Update them from the manufacturer’s website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) to use Driver Easy to help you with that.
• You’re using an older version of Windows. HAGS is only available in Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) and Windows 11. You can check your Windows version using the winver command. Simply press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run box, then type winver and hit Enter.
  

That wraps up our guide to troubleshooting the issues you’re having in Assassin’s Creed Shadows! We hope this was helpful. If necessary, you can report a bug by utilizing its Bug Reporter page. Or if you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to leave a comment below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

• game crash
• performance